Unyielding Storm
by Sypher Zero
Summary: Approximately 1000 years after MMX4. After resigning their commissions with the Maverick Hunters post-Repliforce Incident, Zero and Iris awake in a world torn by war and on the brink of chaos. Altered Timeline/AU events, Zero, Iris, OC's
1. Chapter 0- Origins

Author's Foreword:

This is an AU story about Zero and Iris from the MegaMan X series. I've always been a fan of the love story between this pair, and was extremely disappointed when Zero was forced to kill the one he loved. So, in that respect, I've decided to walk away from ALL canon sources regarding Zero's future. I know that I'll have the hecklers and naysayers, but this is the nature of the writing beast. With that said, enjoy.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything Capcom related. Only the OC's that will appear later.**

Chapter 0- Origin

The tale of the Maverick Hunter Zero is well known to all those who's lives were influenced by his actions. Along with his partner, MegaMan X, Zero thwarted the efforts of the Maverick Sigma over the course of many years in the name of peace. Eventually, Zero found a reason to step away from the fight. That reason was Iris.

During the 'Repliforce Incursion', as history had dubbed it, the Maverick Hunters joined forces with another group of Reploids fighting for peace for Human and Reploid kind known as The Repliforce. A militant-like faction lead by General, the Repliforce's main objective was to prevent the spread of War much the same as the Hunters. It was during these joint operations that Zero became close friends with Colonel, second-in-command of the Reploid Army and an amazing swordsman. He also met his sister, Iris. And their fated meeting would change his existence forever.

Due to Sigma's manipulations, General and the Repliforce started a coup in the name of 'Reploid Freedom' and a war ensued that promised to wipe out the human race. During several battles, Zero and Colonel were forced to lock swords in combat. This caused Iris great pain because of her love for both Zero and her brother, and as hard as she tried to stop them, in the end it was of little use. Before the end of this terrible course of events, Zero was forced to defeat and, ultimately, kill Colonel.

It was discovered that General had reactivated an old satellite capable of laying waste to huge swaths of the planet from orbit. X and Zero made their way to the 'Final Weapon' in order to bring an end to the fighting, and dying, only to be confronted by General. With a combined effort the legendary hunters were able to subdue the massive Reploid leader and learned that he had been influenced by Sigma. Vowing to rid the world of his menace once and for all, X and Zero made their way deeper into the weapon and split up in search of their oldest foe.

While X battled copies of enemies he had already felled, Zero was faced with a much more grueling battle. Empowered by her brother's combat chip, Iris had made her way to the Final Weapon in order to kill Zero for what she had called his betrayal. Zero pleaded with her to stop and understand that he didn't WANT to fight the Colonel, but the proud warrior had left him little choice. However Iris was blinded by pain and summoned her brother's fighting 'spirit' in the form of a massive battle armor. Although the armor was powerful, it was no match for Zero and after a hard fought battle Iris was defeated.

Before the armor could explode and claim yet another loved one, Zero freed Iris from it's corrupt confines. Tears were shed as Zero held her tightly and Iris tried to explain what had come over her. It didn't matter to him, Zero explained with as many tears as Iris. All that mattered was she was safe and he would NEVER let harm come to her again as long as he drew breath.

Sending Iris to the shuttle that he and X used to board the Weapon, Zero made his way toward the final encounter. Linking up with his partner they made their way to the generator room of the giant beam cannon and encountered Sigma, both hoping it would be the last time the rouge Reploid would trouble the world. Sigma was prepared for them and fought with a fury that he'd never displayed before.

However the combined might of MegaMan X and Zero once again send the madman into the abyss, but not before he activated the Weapon's self destruct. With a final laugh of insanity, Sigma and the Weapon began to explode.

X and Zero made it to the shuttle with moments to spare, Iris already having prepped it for take off, and blasted away from the crippled satellite just in time to watch it blow into millions of glittering pieces scattering throughout the vast emptiness of space. The war was over and peace was restored, and as Zero looked at X and Iris, he finally felt a peace of mind that had eluded him for some many years.

Upon their return, Zero resigned his commission with the Hunters and he and Iris went on the live normal and peaceful lives together as the shadow of Chaos and Death receded from the world. After many years, the world began to change with Reploids and Humans finally coexisting, and Zero along with Iris decided to fade into anonymity and were soon nothing more than a history lesson. Deciding, together, that they had seen enough of the world's progress the pair sealed themselves away with the thoughts of Peace, and their Love, firmly implanted into them and the world.

Time passed and Peace faltered. Wars raged because of Greed and Envy. Power is a great motivator, and those who seek it relentlessly will ALWAYS destroy to gain it. And this is where our tale begins, almost 1000 years after that final battle with Sigma, in a strange, new world ravaged by the Wills of Greed and War...


	2. Chapter 1- Discovery

**Disclaimer: MMX & all associated characters belong to Capcom. I own nothing except OC's. **

Chapter 1- Discovery

Dr. Samuel Mavris scoured the ruins for the fifth time this month in the hopes of discovering SOMETHING useful. He'd been assigned here almost a year ago by Imperium Command's Scientific Division stating that ' _Ruins always held secrets ripe for collection_ '. "I call bullshit on that.." he thought as he continued to chip away at a section of stone wall.

"I'm not an archeologist..." he spoke to himself, "I studied Reploid physiology and psychology, not Mining. This is a waste of my skills..." Dejectedly, Samuel tossed his stone tool aside and sat down wiping sweat from his forehead.

"HEY DOC! THINK I GOT SOMETHIN'!", a young man's voice called out from the other side of the cave they were working in. With a sigh, Samuel stood and dusted himself off before heading towards the voice. By the time he arrived, the young man, actually a Reploid, with a shock top of green hair and eyes to match was almost hopping from foot to foot with excitement. Samuel just shook his head slightly at the overly enthusiastic display.

"Easy Roto, or you'll blow a servo. What did you find?" the doctor asked with a slight air of annoyance and boredom. They'd found NOTHING here in the last few months that was note-worthy. But apparently the young Reploid known as Roto thought he'd made a fascinating discovery.

Roto pointed to a large section of wall that he'd broken through and activated his shoulder mounted lamp. Moving over to the hole, Samuel gazed inside what appeared to be a fully intact chamber made of metal with various pieces of equipment inside. At first glance, it didn't seem like anything different from several other such chambers that they'd found while digging around the ruins but a closer look yielded sight of a large set of hydraulic doors at the far end. This was the first time one of the chambers had access to somewhere else, and Samuel couldn't deny that he was curious about this.

"Good find Roto. Radio back to HQ with our findings and see how they want us to proceed." Samuel said, doing little to hide his annoyance at having to alert Command after every find.

Roto rolled his eyes knowing the 'Doc' hated informing HQ before being able to properly explore anything himself.

"Screw that Doc. Let's check it out first and send the pencil pushers a message IF there's a reason to send one. Maybe it's just like the other rooms we found, with nothin' but rats and dust."

Before Samuel could protest, Roto jumped into the hole and landed with a thud a second later. Shinning his shoulder lamp around the room and seeing nothing but the doors and a few old computer terminals, Roto called up to Samuel.

"Doors aside, Doc, looks pretty empty to me. Like I said, rats an' dust."

Above, Samuel watched his young assistant move around the room, a slight headache beginning to form at the base of his skull. Although Roto had good intentions, he was just as impatient as a Human teenager _, "...just as stubborn too..."_ , and always leapt head first into a situation before thinking it through. One of the many reasons he was deemed unsuitable for military purposes and sent to the Science and Research Corps.

"Are you finished down there? If so, come back up and let's call this in." Samuel called down as Roto moved to one of the old terminals and started pressing buttons. "Roto, stop! You don't know-" Samuel's warning was cut off as the terminal came to life and the emergency lights came on in the room casting a pale orange glow throughout. Roto smiled up at the doctor and doused his lamp.

"Looks like this place is linked up with a geotherm connection, Doc. Come on down boss-man and check it out." the young Reploid called out.

With another sigh and shake of his head, Samuel fetched the E-Ladder and extended it to the floor of room. When he heard the telltale 'clink' of the ladder reaching the floor, Samuel made his way down and got his first good look at the very large chamber. Again he found himself very curious as to how such a vast room could exist behind a solid wall of stone. Making his way over to Roto he took a look at the terminal that had activated and his jaw dropped open. Roto noticed the doctor's surprise and a slightly worried expression came to his face.

"What's wrong Doc? Did I screw somethin' up?" the Reploid asked, knowing well he was regarded as a bit of a loose screw throughout Imperium Command. But when Samuel shook his head and closed his mouth, Roto exhaled in relief. He hadn't really paid too much attention to the terminal screen after he'd activated it and he now noticed that the doctor was intently staring at it.

"Roto, what are the coordinates of these ruins?" Asked Samuel, almost in a whisper.

"Ummm... XX100D. Area MGC-02. Why? What's goin' on?"Roto asked nervously.

"Are you unfamiliar with the old world grids? If my calculations are correct, we are currently standing in the Mega City ruins. To be more precise, the old Maverick Hunter headquarters."

It was Roto's turn to be slack-jawed as he looked around the room again. Sure enough he saw, upon closer inspection, a few of the ancient crests that were used by the Maverick Hunters of old. The pair were standing inside of one of the most historic buildings of the late 22nd century.

"Holy shit..." was all Roto could say. And although Samuel didn't vocalize it, he felt much the same. The history of the Maverick Hunters was well known by most Humans and Reploids alike. They fought for Peace for all races, natural and artificial, and were the basis behind Imperium Command. Although Maverick attacks were no longer a commonplace event, like in the 22nd century, they did arise and the Imperium quelled them swiftly.

"I think you were correct, Roto. We should explore more BEFORE we call it in. I'd hate to have Command's Tech-Teams crawling around in here before we've had the chance to find something of interest."

As Samuel said this, Roto's eyes seemed to light up at the prospect of exploring the historic ruins some more without official eyes and ears monitoring them every step. Samuel tapped a few more keys on the terminal and pulled up a schematic of the base.

Most of the areas were highlighted in ominous red, indicating inaccessibility. This was a disappointment to Samuel, and Roto, because he'd hoped to see more of the fabled base. But the terminal revealed that they were standing in the Garage/Vehicle Maintenance Bay and there were several corridors that were still viable just beyond the huge doors. Samuel typed in a few more commands, but an error message told him he didn't have the proper clearance to access them. Roto smiled at the doctor and stepped back up to the terminal.

"I got this Doc. Just gimme a nano."

The palm of Roto's hand opened and a set of small cables extended from them, which he hooked into the terminal. As he linked in, his eyes began to flash through the color spectrum as his internal processors went to work cracking the old passcodes for the base. After several moments, the terminal chimed with an 'Access Granted' alert and the hydraulic doors started to grind open. Roto unhooked and looked back to Samuel with a stupid grin.

"S'pose I'm good for stuff after all, eh Doc?"

Samuel patted his young friend on the shoulder and smiled as well. Even if they DIDN'T find anything of use, this would be an amazing discovery nonetheless. Command would send in teams to excavate the old base from it's stony prison and make use of whatever information they could pull from it's data cores. They may even rebuild and recommission the ancient stronghold. All in all, as far as Samuel was concerned, this once pointless research assignment was finally paying off.

Once past the doors, the pair moved through the historic base in nothing short of awe. Most of it was completely preserved and pristine, aside from the occasional rats and dust. One of the first rooms they were able to enter was known as Armor Containment. It was filled with capsules that once housed the various armor upgrades of the legendary MegaMan X. Although none of the armors remained, their capsules contained detailed information about each of them. One in particular made Roto whistle as he read.

"Ultimate Armor. Boosts the power output of X by a times 5 margin. Equipped with a Mega X-Buster capable of fully charged shots of great and devastating force. Wings and leg booster upgrades for flight capabilities and upgraded power core enabling the massively powerful Nova Crush skill. Built-in energy refraction shielding for reduced damage against beam weaponry... Geez, this guy could've taken on armies by himself in this armor suit. No wonder he was a legend."

"Indeed Roto," Samuel agreed, "However if you remember, X was opposed to violence. He fought for Peace. And if anything I've read on the subject is true, he hated the fact that he had to fight. As with most soldiers of peace, in fact."

Roto just nodded, still slightly in awe of the quantity of armors that were stored in the room for just one Reploid. They left the room and continued on into the facilities. Roto had uploaded the schematic of the base and was identifying rooms as they moved along. Most of this corridor was living quarters, with little of interest left inside them aside from some old photographs. Roto collected them anyway, saying they would be 'awesome ice breakers' in conversation.

At the end of the corridor the pair turned off to the right, as the left side was blocked by a cave in. There was one door in the middle of the hall and an elevator at the far end. Moving to the door, which was closed, Roto looked for a control panel but there didn't seem to be one. He scratched his head.

"Can't code-crack this one if there's no access port... But we GOTTA check it out." Roto said, still looking for some way to enter the sealed room.

"What's in this room Roto?" Samuel asked his slightly rampant looking assistant.

Roto smiled with his big grin again.

"It's Hunter Command. The Heart of the Maverick Hunters ops. Don't really care if it's in ruins Doc. We'll be the first people in centuries, not Mav Hunters, to see the inside." The young Reploid said excitedly, looking like he might fry a processor or two.

Again Samuel couldn't help but smile. Even though he wasn't good enough, by Command's standards, for Combat, Samuel couldn't have asked for a more enthusiastic assistant in his assignment.

"Alright. Bring up the room-to-room schematic for me."

Roto nodded and, using his shoulder lamp, projected the floor plans onto the wall for Samuel. After a moments contemplation he moved over to a panel several feet away from the door.

"According to the electrical plans, there should be an access behind this wall that will allow us to override the lock. Unfortunately, I didn't grab any tools on my way down." Samuel stated, rubbing his chin in thought. Roto moved to stand next to Samuel and flashed him a sly grin.

"Uhh, Doc. You already forget why they built me?" he said as his hand reconfigured into a hook-like shape and he pried the wall panel away to reveal a mess of wires behind it. Shifting his hand back to normal, Roto disconnected several wires from their housings and reconnected them in various arrays of 'controlled chaos', as he fondly referred to it, and sent a quick jolt of energy through them.

"Sweet!" Roto exclaimed as the sealed door to the Command Center slid open crisply and almost silently. Looking over at Samuel with his 'I'm Awesome' grin, the pair stepped inside. Although expecting ruination, neither was prepared for the sight they beheld.

The room itself was massive, larger even than the garage they entered the base through. A high domed ceiling was noticeable immediately, as was the immense curved viewscreen that dominated the far half of the room. Beneath the screen was a bank of terminals, used by the Operators to coordinate Hunter missions, which stretched the length of the screen. Debris from a roof collapse littered a quarter of the room and destroyed the screen and terminals, but otherwise the place was fully intact. Samuel approached the screen and terminals, his voice was that of a child seeing a meteor shower for the first time.

"Unbelievable... This...this is astonishing. Roto, just think of all the information stored within these data cores. It's a treasure trove of knowledge. A _FIRST HAND ACCOUNT_ into the past. This could be the biggest find in Imperium history... And WE found it!"

Samuel couldn't contain his excitement and Roto could understand why. This one discovery could finally get them out of these caves and into a proper lab for a while. If he was in the Doc's shoes, he'd be jumping for joy.

"Hey Doc, you think we're standing in places where X once stood? Or Zero? That would be Omega!"

Samuel nodded to his companion. "I don't see how we couldn't be. They were the Alpha Hunters for so many years, they've probably tread all around this room. Stood in almost every inch of it. Parts of their spirits are most certainly embedded in the walls."

Both of them stood silent for a moment and took it all in. They were now a part of history, walking through the past and living in it's memory. After a few minutes of silent reverie, Samuel tapped Roto's arm and nodded toward the door.

"Come my young friend. There's still a few more places we can check. Perhaps you can get that elevator down the hall operational again. The schematics indicate that three of the lower levels are still fully intact. Let's see what we can find."

A/N: Still not much going on, but some characters to follow. I know it's a bit long for not too much however I wanted to get a little introduction going. Next chapter will provide some familiar faces. R&R. All feedback welcome. If it sucks, lemme know and I'll see what I can do to make things better.


	3. Chapter 2- Awakening

**Disclaimer: Nothin's mine but the OC's and story. Rest is Capcom's.**

Chapter 2- Awakening

The elevator stuttered to a halt on Level B3. The search of the upper levels provided insightful information about how the daily lives of the Hunters typically went. X's personal Armor Containment chamber, some old records from the Medical Bay and a look at the specialized work floor of a Reploid named Douglas were the major highlights of the journey down. Now at the bottom, the elevator door hissed open and the pair exited.

Roto dashed over to a nearby terminal and linked in. In seconds, the emergency lights came up. They'd used the same method throughout their descent: Locate terminal, active lights, explore. As his eyes adjusted, Samuel was almost disappointed that only 3 doors occupied the level. Turing back to look at Roto, Samuel asked him to see the schematics again. After a glance, he understood why.

"Containment Floor." Roto said. "Bet there's been some pretty nasty things down here. Should I Frame-Up, Doc?"

Samuel shook his head.

"Shouldn't be a reason for it. This place has been buried in stone for almost a thousand years. Anything remotely alive would've expired by now." replied the doctor.

They split up as they moved down the hall. Roto took the right side leaving Samuel to the left. Stepping through the door, Samuel found himself staring at several rows of Incapacitor Cells. Primarily used for Reploid containment, they were designed to limit power output to nothing more than what was needed to keep systems functional. These cells, however, quickly lost Samuel's attention as he looked to the back of the chamber and spotted a larger, specialized one completely segregated from the rest.

Nearly twice as big as a normal cell, this one was equipped with Pulse-Jolt conductor bolts (a system designed to hyper-conduct electric bursts and surge them into the cell) and a Kinetic/Particle shielding unit. Samuel opened the cell to find, as expected, shackles that connected the prisoner to the prison. He shuttered thinking about what kind of being this cell was for. His curiosity was quickly abated when he closed the cell and spotted the I.D. plate welded on the side.

"Prisoner V-1001 A.K.A. Vile. Well. No better place to keep a monster, I'd say."

History concerning the Hunter turned Maverick was brutal, to say the least. He knew no limits if it meant getting the job done, and NOTHING was outside his moral standing. And when, eventually, he was put on trial, court-marshaled and decommissioned as a Hunter, Vile lived up to his name committing a number of atrocious crimes in his attempts to lure X and Zero into combat.

The most popular theory was that he was jealous of X and Zero long before contracting the Maverick Virus. Believing himself to be the Reploid to reshape history, Vile cut a path of pure destruction wherever he went in his ill-fated attempts to kill the Azure Bomber and the Crimson Blade. A chill ran down Samuel's spine, _'And what would the image of your world have been?'_ he thought.

Making his way from the holding room, Samuel heard a series of thuds and crashes from Roto's room and headed over to check on him. Leaning against the doorframe and shaking his head slightly, Samuel just stared at his young friend, who was now sporting a certain Maverick's purple and silver T-visor helmet. He was also holding, rather clumsily, a medium sized plasma cannon on his shoulder. When he saw the doctor standing in the doorway, he turned toward him with the cannon and made several 'pew-pew' noises.

"Look at me Doc, I'm Vile! Pew-Pew! Take that foolish Hunters!" Roto said in his best gruff voice.

"Very nice, Roto. Other than playing Maverick, did you find anything useful?" Samuel said with mock sternness before chuckling as the Reploid shot him with a faux pout and put the cannon and helmet back.

"Nah Doc. Mostly busted Busters and broken armor bits. Looks like this mighta been an equipment confiscation area. Kinda surprised by how many old Replifoce pieces there are though." Roto pointed to a black and gold chest plate with silver trim. "Pretty sure that was Colonel's. What was behind Door #1 over there?"

"Detainment cells, including one specially crafted for your 'toys' former owner. And, if I do say so, it's a nasty piece of work to contain one Reploid."

"Vile **WAS** nasty. No shock they'd wanna make sure he didn't get away when they caught him. As far as I know, though, he always managed to escape anyway. Kinda scary to think about: even a specially made prison couldn't hold him long."

Samuel nodded and waved for his young friend to follow. Together they made their way to the final door at the end of the corridor. Almost ten feet high and six across, the door rested in between smooth, seamless walls, as well as the floor around it, and was emblazoned with a pair of symbols that Samuel felt he's seen somewhere before. A digital scanner pod rested at the top.

Roto inspected the walls and floor, looking for a pry point of any sort that he could use to reach the electrical components for the blast door. Samuel, however, found himself studying the symbols instead. One looked to be a very stylized 'i' decorated in the colors of the old Repliforce banner. The other, more ominous one, was a black Omega symbol with two red lines inside the horseshoe like Greek letter connected by a golden, elongated diamond. To Samuel's eye, it looked like a 'Z'. A sharp screech of metal brought the Human's attention crashing back to the situation at hand.

"Found a seam." Roto simply said with a dumb grin that quickly fell away. "Bad news is, I can't patch my way into the door. Good news is, I can get the digi-scan workin'. Not sure if that'll help though. Probably coded for Restricted or Special Entry only."

"Get the scanner running and we'll figure it out from there. You haven't gotten us killed thus far, so I've got faith."

"Thanks Doc." the Reploid said and got to work.

Samuel stood silently as Roto worked, stroking his chin as he pondered the symbols on the door. _'Obviously, this is a special containment area.'_ his thoughts began. _'I do wonder, though, for whom. At least two Reploids, the two sigils being a sure sign of that. One of them Repliforce, but that Omega seems a bit dangerous. Perhaps getting inside isn't wise...'_

Samuel was about to share this notion with Roto when the Reploid hopped up with a whoop of victory. He flashed the doctor his 'I'm Awesome' grin and looked up at the scanner pod. Samuel just stood quietly, an uneasy feeling slowly creeping over him.

The digi-scanner produced a green beam that washed over the duo from head to toe several times before turning red and issuing an unfriendly sounding 'buzz'. This process repeated twice more before producing a hologram which looked to be military in origin and very official in status. Samuel instantly recognized the former Command and Chief of the Maverick Hunters, Signas.

"Greetings. I am Intelligent Interface Construct Sig-0109. My records indicate that you are Unauthorized Personnel attempting to access Restricted Area O.Z.I. I am authorized to use Protocol ZX-02-14 in the event of Unauthorized Access. Exit this location immediately. Only one warning shall be given."

Samuel and Roto exchanged glances, both perplexed and amazed at the sophistication and longevity of the A.I. Holo-Guardian. Roto made a move to step forward, attempting to get a better look at the hologram and digi-scanner, when two panels in the ceiling slid away and Sentry Guns swung to aim at the pair.

Almost leaping back to avoid being fired on, Roto tripped on the flooring he'd managed to pull up and took a hard fall onto his rear. He glared up at the Holo-Guardian angrily.

"That was **COMPLETELY** uncalled for. Not cool, man. Not cool. Can you at least **TELL** us what's back there, glow-rod?" Roto growled.

Holo-Signas shook his head.

"Information regarding Area O.Z.I is Classified at the highest levels. Only Maverick Hunter Command or Signas himself can access this area. As you can see, I am able to defend this area without the use of Protocol ZX-02-14. It would be in your best interests to leave immediately."

Roto had a nasty comment ready to fire at the hologram, but Samuel stepped in before his brash companion got them shot.

"Interface. I'm Dr. Samuel Mavris. Can you access the Internet, in any capacity, at the moment?"

"Negative Doctor. All exterior forms of data or communications have been severed. I believe the base may be under assault."

"Not at all. If I may?" Samuel reached into his pants pocket and removed his micro-tablet. "Although I could explain the situation, perhaps interfacing with this will be much faster."

One of the Sentry Guns extended a grasper armature, collected the device and hooked it into a data-port. The holo-Signas disappeared for several moments before returning. Unhooking the tablet and returning it to Samuel via the Sentry Gun's grasper, Signas looked down on him with a slightly saddened expression.

"This data indicates that the year is 32XX, the Maverick Hunters were destroyed and the world is currently in a state of war. This is disheartening news, Doctor. I still maintain my original statements, however. You cannot enter this area. And, as proper clearance can no longer be appointed, I'm afraid your expedition and excavation assignment ends here."

" **WHA?! T** hat's total bullshit, fly-zapper! We're here on Official capacity!" Roto retorted to the holo-Signas. Samuel held out a hand to the angry Reploid to quiet his tirade and continued speaking.

"You must understand, now that you've updated your database, that our superiors will NOT be satisfied with us if I fail to give a fully comprehensive report on what was discovered. I understand that you are performing your duties. You must understand that I am only doing mine as well."

The hologram seemed to think about the subject for a moment before responding.

"I understand, Doctor. And in that understanding, I'm willing to do this; You alone may enter the Area. No recording/re-creation devices will be permitted to enter the Area. Several measures will be active while inside the Area that, should you manage to sneak a device past the scan, will delete memory every 6 seconds for the duration of you time inside. DO NOT interact physically with ANYTHING. Doing so will automatically activate Protocol ZX-02-14. And, finally, you will have 5 minutes for your examination. You will exit immediately upon expiration of time. Do you agree to these terms, Doctor?"

Samuel looked to Roto, who looked like he might just self destruct in his anger. 'He's pissed...' the doctor thought. 'And rightfully so, but this is our only option at present.' Reaching out to lay a hand on his friend's shoulder, Samuel gave him a sad smile.

"5 minutes, Roto. I'll tell you everything in 5 minutes."

"Yeah Doc, I get it. Still bullshit though." replied the Reploid most dejectedly as he walked away kicking a stone.

Samuel watched him a moment longer then turned back to the holo-Signas and nodded. The hologram nodded in return and disappeared and the green scanner beam ignited once more. As before, it scanned Samuel several times from top to bottom. Unlike the previous attempt, this time the beam remained green after it's final scan and the sound of heavy locks coming undone resonated in the corridor. With a hiss of depressurization, the blast door began a slow and almost silent assent. Looking back once more to Roto, who was attempting to see into the dark chamber, Samuel tossed him a 'thumbs up' and headed in.

No sooner than he'd crossed the threshold did the door begin to close behind him. The heavy snaps and clangs of the locks reengaging soon filled the darkened room, and for the first time since entering the ancient base did Samuel feel truly alone. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward and shook the thoughts from his mind, filling it instead with thoughts of discovery.

The lights in the ceiling began to come to life after a few tense seconds of total black, shedding bright illumination on 1000 years of darkness. These were the brightest lights in the entire facility, and Samuel had to shield his eyes at first. A moment later they adjusted and the doctor found himself utterly fascinated yet again at the ruins he'd accidentally found.

Easily half the size of the Command Ops chamber, it initially looked, to Samuel, like mad scientist's lab. A plethora of Busters in numerous shapes and sizes littered several racks on the left hand side of the chamber. Some of them he recognized as X's personal upgrades, however not all of them belonged to the Azure Hunter, there were just far too many for that likelihood. Hand-drawn charts, maps and files lay in scatterings as well.

To the right were data-banks. Large, old and in stand-by mode, these banks most likely contained most, if not all, of the data collected by the Hunters in their long existence. Blueprints, also hand-drawn, for a great many things were in clear-cases and wall mounted all around the banks. Samuel figured this made locating and using specific ones much easier. But the items that drew him in were dozens of small glass containers with microchips inside them.

Checking the timer, which appeared as a digital readout projected on the door, Samuel moved over to the chips to closer examine them. He found himself instantly fascinated as he began to read the names aloud listed on each mini-capsule.

"Spark Mandrill... Armored Armadillo... Magma Dragoon... Flame Stag... Slash Beast... General... Colonel... Vile... X... Amazing. Never was it mentioned that the Maverick Hunters collected the combat chips from their adversaries."

As Samuel continued to read off the names he came to one that almost made him jump back. Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, he checked the name on the container once more.

"Sigma... I'll be damned. They **ACTUALLY** managed to capture Sigma's battle processor. No wonder he faded away after the 5th Uprising."

As he began to step away from the chips he noticed two full-size Stasis Capsules in the back of the chamber. Even from his vantage point towards the front of the room, Samuel could see that they were still being supplied with power and maintaing their inhabitants. Curious to see what was inside he took a step forward, caught his foot on one of the legs of the microchip table and, lurching into a fall, knocked several of the processors from their resting places. That's when things went south.

The lights overhead turned blood red, started flashing and an ear splitting klaxon alarm sounded. Several ceiling panels slid away to reveal Sentry Guns hidden inside that locked onto Samuel as soon as they were fully extended. Two Automated Attack Droids emerged from from their also hidden posts near the door, raised their Buster Cannons towards him and began to charge the weapons. The voice of A.I. Signas cut through the piercing klaxon.

"Security breach in Area O.Z.I. Protocol ZX-02-14 now activated. The terms were simple, Doctor: touch nothing."

"I tripped!" Samuel shouted, trying to be heard over the alarm. He knew that the holo-Guardian was intelligent enough to understand his mistake, but not enough so to actually attempt to reason with. Samuel's mind began to race with a frantic scurry of thoughts on how to escape his current situation.

He couldn't run for cover, the Sentry Guns would make short work of cutting him down mid-stride before he came close to anything. He couldn't charge into the Attack Droids for the same reason, and, **THEY** could also blast him with their cannons before he got near them. The scenario looked bleak to Samuel; no escape, his companion pounding on the door and death by firing squad imminent. Hanging his head and closing his eyes, Samuel braced himself and thought 'T _here are worse ways to die._ ' None came to his mind in this moment.

"Suspend Protocol ZX-02-14. Override Authorization MHZ-00 Omega." called a calm yet icy voice from behind Samuel.

Instantly the klaxon ceased and the lights returned to normal. Samuel opened his eyes in time to watch the Droids march back to their wall-mounted hiding places and disappear. Letting out a sigh of relief, the doctor started to turn around to thank his unknown savior but the ignition of a Beam Saber put a stop to that.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?" asked the same voice that stopped the security system as he stepped closer and brought his Saber up into Samuel's peripheral vision. The hum of the emerald-bladed energy weapon filled his ears as he, as calmly as possible, answered.

"My name is Dr. Samuel Mavris. I'm a Researcher for Imperium Command's Scientific Corps. Myself, and my Reploid companion in the hall, found this place during an excavation assignment. I'm unarmed, and mean no harm. I was allowed access to this chamber by Intelligence Interface Sig-0109. I had a bit of a stumble and tripped the security protocol."

" 'Imperium Command'? Never heard of it. Sounds Maverick if you ask me." replied the now ice cold voice wielding the Saber.

"To the contrary, actually. They came about after the fall of the Maverick Hunters, and based their actions directly from that example."

" 'Fall of the Maverick Hunters'? What are you talking about? What year is this, Doctor?"

 _'I might just survive this ordeal after all._ ' Samuel though before responding "32XX." The next sound was the low pitch hum-whistle of the Beam Saber retreating into its handle and a gruff huff from its owner. Samuel let out a breath he didn't remember taking and listened to footsteps moving away from him. Deciding that it was once again ok to move, he turned around to face the person responsible for saving him and was dumbstruck with shock.

Standing next to the capsules in the rear of the room, in his Human form, was the legendary Maverick Hunter Zero.

A/N: See? Familiar faces... Ok I admit it; one face, one hologram. But, hey, that counts. This is actually a rewrite of the chapter. Due to a poorly placed key stroke, I accidentally wiped out the original. Needless to say, wasn't a happy camper. As usual, R&R. Good, bad or otherwise doesn't matter to me. Every opinion is helpful and goes a long way. Next chapter will follow this one almost immediately.


	4. Chapter 3- New World, Old Eyes

**Disclaimer: Same ol', same ol'. Nothin's mine but the OC's and story... But I can dream right?**

Chapter 3- New World, Old Eyes

Roto ran to the door and began pounding on it furiously when the alarms sounded, yelling over the klaxon as best he could.

"DOC! DOC, WHAT'S GOIN' ON IN THERE?! Ah, screw this bullshit lockout... R-FRAME!"

Roto was engulfed in bright green energy as his human form was replaced by his sleek, green Reploid armor. Although he'd been deemed unsuitable for combat due to his brash and impetuous nature, Roto was designed as a Spec-Ops Solo Infiltrator unit. Equipped with the skills and gear necessary for Soft or Hard entry into enemy territory, Roto was outfitted with Weapons Tech and Ordinance.

His Buster cannon was known as a Neutron Buster, or N-Buster, and was capable of blowing holes through a foot of Ultranium when fully charged. But this caused a severe loss of power afterwards. Ultranium, being several times stronger and lighter than the Proto-Titanium material used in the creation of most Construction grade Mechanaloids, is regarded as the toughest metal alloy on the planet to date. Roto's Buster made it look like paper over fire when he was done with it. Along with explosives of varying degrees of power ranging between stun and napalm, one would assume Roto was a War machine. In fact though, he disliked the idea of battle wholeheartedly.

This situation, however, called for something drastic. Samuel's life depended on him getting inside. Destroying whatever was in there was just going to have to be collateral damage. ' _Sorry Doc, but your life's more important than some outdated info...'_ Roto thought as he began to charge his Buster.

As he reached maximum charge, the klaxon suddenly ended. Roto filled with instant dread as thoughts of Samuel laying dead in the chamber filled his minds eye. Taking aim, the young Reploid prepared to fire when the door hissed open and Samuel stepped out. A look of shock rode freely on the man's face as he saw Roto, who immediately powered down his cannon and dashed over to his friend.

"DOC! What the hell happened? The alarms went off and I thought you were flash fried for sure."

Samuel smiled at his companion and waved him inside.

"You and me both Roto. I literally tripped and set the alarms off. The security protocol was a nasty one. Sentry guns and Attack Drones. But, it would seem, I'm a **VERY** lucky man."

As they entered the room, Samuel stepped to the side allowing Roto a better view of the inside of the chamber. Although he would normally have been interested in the variety of gizmos and gadgets laying around, Roto's eyes fell directly to the blonde haired man in the back of the room dressed in a red leather jacket and black cargo pants with matching boots. Roto's jaw, for the second time today, dropped wide open as he attempted to speak.

"That's...that's...that's..." was all he could seem to get out of his mouth as Zero turned around to face them. Samuel almost burst into gales of laughter.

"Commander Zero, I'd like to introduce my partner in this assignment. Roto, this is Commander Zero."

Zero walked over to the pair and, after sizing up the green armored Repolid, extended his hand. Roto, still dumbfounded, shook it as best he could.

"It's just Zero. I resigned my commission a long time ago. Your a different looking Reploid, Roto. Never seen a combat model like you. I assume your a special Infiltrator type, correct?"

Roto nodded and thought, ' _For someone almost a millennia outta the loop, he's still sharp as hell... Legendary status...'_ Releasing Zero's hand, Roto finally took a look around the room and whistled.

"Lotsa crazy stuff in here, Doc. But what I wanna know is; whaddaya **YOU** doin' down here Zero?"

The former Hunter gave one of his slight smiles as he walked back over to the other capsule and placed a hand lightly on the plexiglass cover.

"Stasis kid. Me and her. I saw a lot in my time, and eventually decided it would be for the best. Iris and I saw a world at Peace after so much fighting and loss and figured 'What the Hell? We deserve a good rest'. But, the doctor says it's been a thousand years since then and it seems as good a time as any to wake up and see this new world."

Zero's smile faded away as a few realizations came to him. He turned to face the pair once more, eyes intense.

"Why is the base underground?"

Samuel and Roto exchanged glances, obviously at a loss of what to tell the former Hunter. Zero stepped away from Iris' capsule and continued to look back and forth between the pair intently. Roto broke the awkward silence of the situation.

"About 150 years ago, a Reploid named Lacadian made a huge breakthrough in reusable energy. Things were startin' to look a little rough on that front, so her research development was just what we needed. The 'Caden Cell' was the final result: an energy source that could replenish itself through **ANY** natural means."

Zero nodded, "That kind of research was starting back in 22XX, but was still a long way from completion."

"Right. Lacadian's research was rooted there. She just progressed it to a finished product. An' things were lookin' good for the world. With an energy crisis looming, this kinda good news was welcome. Then **THEY** showed up..."

"They?" Zero's eyes narrowed at how the young Reploid had said 'They' in such a devastated way. When Roto didn't continue, Samuel laid a hand on his shoulder and pressed forward.

"The Nihilist Armada. Led by a Maverick named Null, they swept into the world like a proton-wave obliterating anything and everything that stood between them and Lacadian. By the time we could mount any kind of defense, it was already too late for so many. They captured Lacadian and all her research and used it to create the Void Bomb. A W.M.D. capable of reshaping landscapes through neutrino-particle disruptions. The first two bombs were dropped on the U.S. and Russia and effectively turned them into shattered landmasses."

Zero's mouth dropped open in shock that quickly became anger and his hands clenched into tight fists. He'd seen destruction on a wide scale before, but this sounded like insanity to him. ' _Even Sigma wouldn't've used a weapon of that magnitude...'_ When he finally spoke, Zero's voice was filled with fire.

"What happened to the Hunters? Where was X? I know 850 years is a long stretch to keep going, but how could he have not tried to stop this?"

Samuel shook his head sadly and told Zero that X had retired himself back in 26XX. Zero almost fell over when he heard his brother had retired **HIMSELF.**

"According to history, a couple of centuries after the Repliforce Incident, X's capabilities had finally reached a peak. As he was unique, he was incompatible for more modern upgrades to his systems. Slowly, he degraded or, as he'd put it in his memoirs, just got old. During what should've been a routine Mechanaloid stop, his Nova Strike system shorted out and annihilated several city blocks. Unable to mentally deal with the destruction he'd caused, he removed his processors, and most of his memory systems, then set his Buster and Nova systems into Overload."

Samuel stopped there as he saw the look of horror and sadness on the Red Blade's face. Zero knew, even if he wasn't held accountable for a systems failure, his best friend wouldn't've been able to live with a tragedy of that magnitude. And Zero also knew that no one, not even him, could've stopped the Blue Bomber in his decision. That did little to ease Zero though.

"So, who opposes Null and his forces now?" Zero asked, his gaze toward Iris.

"'Her' forces." corrected Roto. "Null is female. According to her, her creator wanted a truly calculating and unrelenting commander for the Armada and a male just wasn't up to the task. The answer to your question, though, is the Imperium Command. They picked up the torch where the Hunters fell. But they're just a prolonging force, no real way to rout Null or the Armada." Roto grumbled, his distaste for Null and the Imperium's lack of ability clear.

Zero walked over to Roto and laid a hand on the young Reploid's shoulder. As he looked up at Zero, he could feel a great and terrible power inside of the legendary Hunter.

"That's all about to change kid. I left this world in Peace. I fully intend to make sure it's not a temporary condition. Get back to your commanders, but say **NOTHING** about this place, for now. I've gotta make plans, and get back to proper fighting shape." Zero reached into his coat pocket and handed Roto a small data disk. "That's my personal frequency. Use it to stay in touch. I'll pull your data from the systems here. You've linked in enough that I'll be able to find you. A century lived in Fear isn't a life for anyone, and it ends now."

With those words, Samuel and Roto departed with looks of astonishment plastered on their faces. Zero burned inside with a deep Rage centered around this new war that ravaged the world. ' _No more Fear.'_ he thought as he walked back towards Iris' capsule and activated the Revive sequence. _'I'll need all the support I can get to take this on. I'm sorry, my love, that I can't wake you under better circumstances. But we're needed.'_

The capsule opened quietly and Iris' eyes began to flutter open slowly. As they locked eyes, she smiled and reached a hand up to touch Zero's face gently and all of his Fury and Rage subsided. Leaning his head down, their lips met for the first time in a millennia and the world seemed to stop inside that moment. He broke their kiss and smiled.

"God, you're a sight for sore eyes..."

A/N: They're back! It's starting to move along now, but still not quite up to speed. Hope the description of Roto in his armor is to everyone's liking. And I'm sorry for the way X went out, but I thought it was kinda cool. The next chapter will introduce Null and be mostly from her perspective throughout. As usual, R&R. Like it, hate it, give it to me straight Doc. Only way I can make it better.


	5. Chapter 4- Empty Heart

**Me: Welcome back to those who've decided to come back. Hope everyone is enjoying the trip so far.**

 **Null: Well, you've finally decided to write something worthwhile. They can finally start to enjoy themselves.**

 **Me: Listen you, I could very easily rewrite your persona. So I'd be a bit less catty with me.**

 **Null: (chuckles) Oh please, Sypher, save your threats. It's unbecoming of an intellectual type. Besides, you LOVE who I am. Else you wouldn't've crafted me as so.**

 **Me: Can't say you're wrong, my dear. Disclaimer please?**

 **Null: SypherZero owns nothing but this story and the OC's that appear. Capcom owns the rest. Now, get to my introduction, Human. Everyone's waiting.**

Chapter 4- Empty Heart

The rain fell in sheets in the early morning hours, creating rivulets that cascaded down the large window of the personal study of the leader of the Nihilist Armada. The landscape outside that window was barren, for the most part, with unnatural desert stretching for miles due to the many weapons tests conducted around the stronghold. Staring out into that endless waste with nothing but her thoughts and the patter of rain on glass, Null sighed contentedly.

 _'I, alone, see the beauty in this Nothingness.' she thought, 'The world is far too cluttered with Man's Creations and their desire to shape Nature to their specification. It's a sad notion. Luckily, I'm here to put an end to that.'_

A chime sounded from the door bringing Null back to reality. Moving with a grace that made her seem to float as opposed to walk, she sat down in the high-backed chair at her desk and tapped several keys on the keypad built into it. "Come" she said in a light, yet powerful, voice.

Silently, the door slid open to admit a massive red and black armored Reploid. He stood so tall he had to duck slightly to enter the room. Armed with two shoulder mounted Gatling Guns and a Buster cannon almost as wide across as him he saluted his commander, a fist placed to the chest. Null smiled at him.

"General Kay. How good to see you still in one piece. Report?"

"Imperium forces have finally been routed from Sectors 17 through 20."

" 'Routed'? You mean, there are survivors?" Null's expression darkened slightly.

"Within acceptable mission parameters, ma'am. Maybe a dozen or so. And, all of their motorcade was destroyed as per S.O.P (Standard Operating Procedure). I have three teams following them into the wastes. They won't make it far."

Null brightened considerably as Kay finished his report and she noticed the larger Reploid's stance, which had gone slightly stiff, relaxed with her mood. Small of frame as she may be, Null commanded fierce and terrible power that quaked any who stood before it.

"Excellent General. I must say, I was worried for a moment that you'd possibly failed me. As usual, however, you've performed your duties well beyond capacity. When your men return, you are all granted three days Leave. Your continued dedication to the cause, and unwavering loyalty, shouldn't go unrewarded."

Although the face mask of his helmet prevented Null from seeing it, she knew Kay was smiling. He was truly her most devout warrior, and she knew he would do ANYTHING to garner her praise and approval.

"I will pass your mandate onto the troops upon their return. I, however, will not rest until the Imperium is ousted from this world and your Vision is complete."

Null had been prepared for Kay to say as much and offered him a coy smile.

"That's an Order, General. I won't have my greatest asset fall needlessly due to fatigue. Rest, and be ready. Our next offensive will be deep inside Imperium-controlled areas, and I'll need you at 110% if it is to succeed. Dismissed."

The general saluted once more and Null watched him depart with a smile on her lips. Kay was a 'War-Dog' through and through, and if he had his way he'd strap a Caden Generator to his back and fight 24/7. _'Perhaps_ ,' she thought, _'I'll allow him that one day.'_

Rising from her chair and moving over to a nearby bookcase, Null skimmed the numerous titles before deciding on one. Removing the thick volume from it's resting place, Null returned to her seat and, almost lovingly, ran a hand across the old blue leather binding. A grey ribbon protruded from near the center of the book and Null gently opened it to that point and began to read.

' ** _Chapter XXIX- A Solitary Century. It's been almost 100 years since the Repliforce incident. Sigma popped up again not too long afterwards, but we finally ended him for good. After that fifth, and final, time the Maverick Virus seemed to disappear. Seems Sigma's processor was what was responsible for the continued production of the Virus. Between that, and Zero being in stasis, it looked like Mavericks were finally a thing of the Past._**

 ** _Not too long after the Fifth Uprising, Dr. Cain passed away. Although it was a sad day, the man had extended his life well beyond Human capacity and, as far as I thought, he deserved some rest. All of us Hunters, and most Humans as well, mourned his loss for quite some time. But, time moved on. We became more of a Police force. With no Mavericks there wasn't really a need for Maverick Hunters. I was promoted to the rank of Commandant, second only to Signas, and given a desk job. Although I didn't mind field work, this felt like a better fit for me now._**

 ** _After Zero, and several other partners, fighting on the frontline everyday seemed pointless. Even before Repliforce, I'd felt that fighting would never bring about Peace. I also know, though, that the world would always need someone to protect it.'_**

Null closed the book and let herself sink deep into her chair.

"How right you were, X. This world cannot survive on its own. And humanity is its great destroyer. If only you'd realized that... You've taught me so much. More so even then my creator, and I shall save this world from the travesty its become. I will make this world Perfect, by reshaping it from Emptiness. Humanity has become Obsolete, and therefore should be Retired."

Null spoke to no one but the Universe, but she felt her audience was a captive one. With great effort, as she was very comfortable, Null rose from her chair and left her study. Moving down the hall towards an elevator, she passed several Armada Officers who crisply saluted as she passed. She knew that, although they respected her, they were extra courteous and proper in her presence out of Fear. Fear was a great motivator, and Null was proficient in its use.

Calling the lift and entering a second later, she typed in a code sequence on the number pad next to the normal controls and the elevator began its descent. It traveled downward for a small eternity before coming to a stop on Sub-Level 60. As the door opened, Null was assailed by humid, slightly stale, air and the buzzing commotion of heavy machinery.

Striding through the hall she stopped at a window that looked into a large, factory-like work area. Reploids and droids of all sizes were working at a furious pace, crafting weapons, repairing vehicles and armor and pumping out new Attack Drones. Although she would never admit it to anyone, Null enjoyed watching her forces grow almost as much as gazing into the Emptiness. She smiled, 'Almost...'

"Ah, Lady Null. What brings you to my little slice of Utopia?" A voice, small yet commanding, called out to her. She pulled her attention away from the work space to see a medium build Reploid with yellow and red armor walking toward her. She offered him the slightest of smiles.

"Inspecting what's mine, Brav. You seem to be light of work today..." Null stated with a slightly veiled insulting tone.

Brav snorted derisively, dismissing Null's harsh tone and looked through the window into the work area.

"I gave out the orders, as requested. I'm just getting back from the Imperium clean-up. Have to say, those guys fight to the bitter end. Never stood a chance, mind you, but they try."He glanced at Null peripherally. "Haven't seen **YOU** in a Raid Party lately. You're not getting lazy, are you? A complacent commander is a dead commander. Or so the saying goes."

"I find your lack of respect bothersome, Sergeant. Perhaps you require a behavior modification to remind you why I'm in charge." Null responded with a deadly edge.

"Calm down, **_Commander_** , or you'll blow a processor. If you can't take a little friendly dissension from ME, how do you expect to deal with Imperium higher-ups when you're confronted by them? Regardless of how we feel about each other, have I ever shown disloyalty?"

Null said nothing, slightly seething inside over Brav's attitude. He was, however, loyal to her and the Armada's cause. He continued speaking when she didn't answer.

"Exactly. You don't like my attitude, and I'm sorry for that. But I didn't write my program, The Creator did. You got issues, take it up there. I'll support the Cause till I'm Retired and no amount of quarreling between US will change that. Maybe, just maybe, we'd get along better if you just got over my sarcasm. 'Cause I'm the only one with balls enough to bust yours."

Null prepared to retort but stopped herself mid-thought. Brav, although a bothersome lout, was correct. He was a disrespectful smart-ass, but he'd never challenged Null position or orders. He never acted in public as he did whenever they encountered each other alone. He knew his place and, Null had to admit, for all his annoyance he was a good solider.

Brav tossed a hasty salute and cocksure grin, that further irritated Null, and departed. _'One day, he'll give me a good reason._ ' she thought as she continued through the hall. Aside from her brief encounter with Brav and the work area, Sub Level 60 was devoid of life and only the clacking echo of her footfalls followed her. Soon, she reached what appeared to be a dead-end.

Removing the grey glove from her right hand and pressing it to the wall, a small rectangular opening appeared and a retinal scanner slid forward. Null placed her face to the scanner and seconds later the solid-light hologram of the wall dissolved to reveal a door behind it. Null smiled, for she was the only one who knew about the false wall and the contents of room beyond. Tapping the door twice, once then twice again it silently opened upward. Null stepped inside.

Once inside, the door closed encasing the room in darkness once more. A single light activated after a few seconds to reveal a plexiglass cell with a single inhabitant. Electromagnetically suspended over a vat of bubbling liquid, it would seem, to outside observation, like overkill for a single prisoner, but this particular prisoner was too valuable to Null for even the slightest margin of escape. Null cleared her throat to catch the attention of the cell's inmate. When she, the prisoner, didn't respond, Null shrugged.

"It's rude to not acknowledge a guest."

"Your my captor, Null. I've no intention to acknowledge you." said the prisoner in a defeated tone.

"And yet you just have. Why sit and pout your life away, Lacadian? Join me. We can create the world of Peace that X always sought."

Lacadian looked to Null with fire in her eyes and spoke with dripping venom.

"Through Death?! Through Genocide?! X would **NEVER** have done the things you have in the name of 'Peace'. You're just a deranged Maverick, Null. You have no clue what peace is. The world you wish to create isn't a world I wish to see. So, if your done trying to 'convert' me you can show yourself out."

Null shook her head and stepped as close to the cell as the bubbling pit would allow.

"I've been reading X's memoirs, Lacadian. As I delve deeper into his thoughts, I see that he and I aren't as different as you think. We seek Peace and Prosperity for all Reploid kind. Even **HE** knew that Humans would be the downfall of this world. Look at what they've done to it. Drained it of its natural resources so that new energy source needed to be **INVENTED.** They aimlessly slaughter each other for nothing more than **PERSONAL GAIN.** Their **NEED** to be Master over All is what brought about the Mavericks and Sigma and Zero and **EVERY** other tragedy that's befallen this world."

"...just shut up..." Lacadian said in a whisper.

Null smiled. "You know I'm right Lacadian..."

"I SAID SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP YOU TWISTED BITCH!"

"Such harsh words from such a great mind. Perhaps you need more time to think it over. I'll see you soon."

Null watched Lacadian bury her face in her hands and sob. She knew the scientist was close to her breaking point, and Null reveled in it. After 150 years of imprisonment, it was only a matter of time. She would soon join the Nihilist ranks and stand beside Null as a new world was forged. Laughing loudly enough for Lacadian to hear, Null exited the room and left it in darkness once more.

A/N: Not too much to really say here except, Null's vicious. And, poor Lacadian. As usual, R&R please. Need some kinda feedback on my current progress. Hope everyone's enjoying it so far.


	6. Chapter 5- Dying Breed

**Me: Still no feedback... Mustn't be too good...**

 **Roto: I like it. Can't speak for anyone else though. Needs some action, though.**

 **Brav: Face it Sypher, you suck. Just get over it. Stop writing and don't quit your day job.**

 **Me: Whoa man, that's harsh. You're kind of a dick.**

 **Brav: That's what I do. Just like I told Null, don't like it take it up with... Oh that's right, YOU'RE my creator, hahaha! You made me this way, so suck it up babycakes.**

 **Me: ...my own characters give me shit... Can I get a disclaimer please?**

 **Brav: Sypher sucks and doesn't own shit but OC's and this horrible excuse for a story. Rest is Capcom's. Can I go now?**

 **Roto: ::blasts Brav off the page:: Jerkoff!**

Chapter 5- Dying Breed

Zero, once again in his signature red armor, sliced his way through another section of debris opening up another of the collapsed corridors in the base. He and Iris had discovered that almost 80% of Hunter HQ was inaccessible due to cave-ins. Working tirelessly since they came out of stasis, the pair was attempting to dig out what they could. After several hours, however, no real progress had been made and Zero began to wonder if all this back-breaking labor was for naught. A beep from his helmet-comm cleared away the pessimistic thoughts.

"What's up, Iris?"

"According to my analysis of the infrastructure, that hall seems pretty stable. If you can access the main terminal down there, I can get the self-repair systems going to start fixing the damage." came the static-filled reply of the former Hunter Operator.

"Got it. Zero out."

Zero heard a giggle from Iris before ending the communication and smiled. She had always said he was too official sounding, even when not involved in missions, and although he tried not to be when talking to her it always slipped out. _'Old habits die hard._ ' He continued on into the darkened corridor.

The faint glow of the emergency lights in the hall behind him quickly faded as he moved deeper into the corridor and Zero activated the IR/DV (Infrared/Dark-Vision) in his helmet. The corridor painted itself in a pale yellow-green in his HUD(Heads-Up Display) as it translated the little-to-no light into the visible spectrum. From the looks of things, this particular area was in bad shape, with large pieces of ceiling and stone blocking off most of the way. With a sigh, Zero adjusted the light filter in his helmet, activated his Saber again and got back to work hacking his way through the corridor. After several tedious minutes of clearing he located the main terminal and contacted Iris.

"Terminal located. Accessing now." Zero stated matter-of-factly.

"Zero, wait. I'm not reading any power from the terminal, emergency or otherwise. I'll have to reroute power to it before you can access it. Just need a second."

"Understood. Holding position."

Another giggle from Iris. Zero responded to this one.

"Is something funny, Ma'am?"

" ' _Ma'am_ '? Am I an old lady now, Mister Zero?" Iris responded, a mock tone of hurt in her staticky voice.

"Technically, we're both 'old folks' now." Zero dead-panned trying to keep a smile from his face.

"How rude! I do **NOT** look my age, sir." Iris said laughing brightly over the comm.

Zero joined her. He relished the sound of her voice, knowing that he had almost been responsible for taking it away from the world. Every time he thought about that battle on the Final Weapon so long ago, he couldn't help but wonder how different his life would've turned out without her. _'Endless fighting, probably. Most likely until it killed me... You saved me from that, Iris, and I can never thank you enough_.' Shaking away the dark thoughts of 'What if', Zero returned his attention to the terminal noticing it was beginning to boot up. Iris chimed through the comm a second later.

"Power reroute successful. You should be able to activate emergency power now. After you've done that, I should be able to get things moving on repairs from here."

"Ri-" Zero's reply cut off as a strange feeling washed over him. Looking back the way he came he saw nothing, but would swear something was skulking around the corridor watching him. Iris was questioning him via the comm, but a finely honed battle-sense was muting her voice subconsciously. Saber gripped tightly, Zero moved back toward the open corridor preparing for an attack. A quick search revealed nothing. However, Zero was never one to ignore a 'bad feeling'. Iris' voice had taken on a more frantic edge and Zero activated his comm.

"Sorry about that... Thought I saw something."

"You could've just said that! I thought something happened to you." Iris replied both irritated and relieved.

"Seal the doors to your area, just in case it wasn't my imagination playing tricks in the dark. I'll maintain radio contact and keep you updated."

"Be careful. I've been monitoring your performance output, and you're still not at 100% fighting fit. And, who knows how tough things have gotten in a thousand years."

Zero rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence..." He replied flatly. _'She worries too much...'_ Dashing back to the terminal, Zero quickly activated it and sent a link request to Iris' station. After a moment Zero saw that Iris was connected and had the emergency lights turned on. Quickly disengaging the light augmentation program, Zero tried his radar only to be greeted with a burst of static.

Before heading out into the base, Zero had run a check on his Primary and Secondary systems. Everything was in operating order, except the radar. As he wasn't one to rely on radar during combat, or much else really, Zero didn't care and set out. In the early hours of the repair effort, after a wrong turn that collapsed the corridor ceiling behind him, Zero tried the radar again. Hoping his self-repair had fixed the radar issue he was irritated when it was diagnosed as 'Operational'. Designating the self-repair to flag the radar as needing maintenance immediately and devoting full resource allotment to the problem, Zero continued on.

This time, after the radar's systems were purged and rewritten by self-repair, the static remained and Zero was on edge. Between his senses telling him something was amiss and the lack of radar, he knew something else was close by and he wasn't about to be caught off guard. Thinking quickly, he radioed Iris.

"Iris, sweep the base with a security scan and feed it to my HUD. My radar is still down, and I'm positive there's something in the base that shouldn't be."

Zero's HUD flashed and displayed the scan data, locating energy signatures near the Garage but not near him.

"Keep your eyes on the feed and relay data as needed." Zero told Iris as he headed towards the Garage. A crisp "Right!" was the reply. Dashing through the corridors, Zero came to a staircase he'd opened up earlier and bounded up them to the Main Floor. Using his Saber when he reached the floor, Zero sliced the debris away from the doorway and leapt out into a roll that narrowly avoided two incoming Buster shots. Completing the roll back on his feet, Zero brought his Saber into a ready stance and took stock of the situation.

Three grey and black armored Reploids stood against him. Two, obviously armed with Busters, still trained on him flanked one with a Beam Saber. The Saber wielder dashed toward Zero, began to shimmer and promptly disappeared. ' _Cloaking Tech... Wonderful._ ' he thought. The 'Buster Bros', as Zero had mentally dubbed them, opened fire again to cover their comrades attack. Zero snorted as he deflected the small onslaught of uncharged Buster rounds, took a step to the side and unleashed a kick that, somehow, found the invisible Saber fighter and sent him flying back into a wall slamming him with enough force to knock him out. The cannon fire slowed as one of the 'Bros' seemed shocked at Zero's lucky hit and hesitated. Zero took full advantage.

Leaping high and twisting, Zero evaded the the all but useless shots of the single Reploid and landed next to his still stunned partner. Lashing out with a left hook that nearly shattered his target helmet, he connected with a jumping knee that lifted them both back into the air. Once airborne, Zero unloaded with a spinning kick that sent his victim spiraling into a pile of debris, taking him out of the fight as well. The other Reploid ceased firing and called out to his fellow, then roared and fired a semi-charged Buster shot. Zero let his body fall naturally and the shot sailed past him and diffused harmlessly into a debris pile, creating a massive dust cloud. Dousing his Saber to keep an advantage, Zero closed his eyes and listened. The frantic breathing and quick steps of panic filled his hearing and, stepping to the right, Zero reactivated his Saber and gave a lightning fast swing. A howl of pain and the thudding of a cannon hitting the floor followed a moment later, and Zero found his opponent on his knees clutching the stump of his severed arm. He activated his comm.

"Threat neutralized. Beginning interrogation."

"Be careful. Two of those energy signatures are still operational and battle ready." Iris' voice came back.

"Operational, maybe. Battle ready? Not against me." Zero said icily staring at the one armed Reploid.

"I got nothing to say, Imp-Dog." growled the injured Reploid.

"I'm not Imperium. I'm Maverick Hunter. And you're trespassing."

"There are no Maverick Hunters anymore..." the Armada Reploid said with little conviction in his shocked voice.

"I keep hearing that, yet here I am. Where's your boss? Grunts never come alone."

"That would be me." came an airy and aristocratic voice from above.

Zero glanced up to see a violet and grey armored Reploid drop lithely to the floor and toss her hair back out of her eyes. Zero stepped away from the injured Reploid and approached the new threat, pointing the tip of his Saber in her direction. This brought a laugh from her, a sound that could've been sweet had it not belonged to a Maverick.

"You're Null?" Zero asked plainly.

"My word, no. You asked for **THEIR** boss. She is the Armada's Commander, I am theirs. Lieutenant Vale, at your service. And, if I'm not mistaken, you would be Maverick Hunter Zero. I must say, to meet a Legend such as yourself is... Exhilarating..." Vale said with an all-too-friendly purr in her voice and Zero heard Iris growl over the comm.

Zero never moved his blade, keeping her within his range as she walked around him. As she completed the round, she stopped just inches away from the Saber point and winked.

"Come now, there's no need for this. I can think of much more fun things for us to do, handsome."

"You must be a Maverick, talking crazy like that. I know about your Armada, and the terrible things it's responsible for. And if you think I'd join forces with something like that, your information about me must be sorely lacking."

Vale raised a brow, "Is it?" she said simply. "Did they **NOT** call you **_'Red Death'_**? **_'Crimson Blade'_**? **_'The_** **_Omega'?"_** She laughed. "You've committed a fair number of atrocities in your day as well, Zero. I'd be willing to bet you and Null aren't as different as you believe. But, it would seem you're bent on Falling under the Vale. Pity, I wish you'd have just fallen **FOR** me."

Vale jumped back and unsheathed two short swords. With a slight shake of her wrists, the blades segmented into whip-like weapons and ignited in violet energy. She smiled a sweet yet predatory grin at Zero as he took notice of her weapons. In a flash, she attacked with a whirlwind of movement her Beam Whips leaving little space to move. Zero parried, rolled, jumped and, finally, dodged away from the whirling light strings creating some separation between the pair. The Whips were unpredictable in their movements, but Zero had faced off against enough Exotic weapons when dealing with Sigma and the Mavericks that's he'd developed several specialized tactics for confronting out-of-the-norm attacks.

"I expected better of you Zero. All you've shown me is how well you run away. Could your legend be more hyperbole that we've been led to believe?" Vale snickered.

Zero just smiled at her and activated the Sougenmu program, which instantly kicked his systems into overdrive and created a solid-light afterimage with his movements. Blasting forward with alarming speed, Zero caught Vale off guard with his increased velocity and ferocity. It was now her turn to twist, spin, duck, dodge and jump away as Zero attacked with combo after combo attempting to land a decisive blow against his foe. Although she had the element of surprise at first, Vale soon found herself at the mercy of the merciless Hunter, and in a move of desperation tried to parry a sequence of attacks that led to the destruction of one of her Whips at the hands of one of his afterimages. She howled in pain as the weapon overloaded and burst like a fire-filled balloon, charring her hand. She glared daggers at Zero, who was standing several feet away in his stance still smiling.

"How **DARE** you mock me, you outdated scrapyard reject!" Vale spat. "I'll show you the error of that!"

Zero stood his ground as she dashed forward and unleashed a flurry with her remaining Whip. Easily deflecting, thanks to Sougenmu, Zero waited until Vale was only steps away then struck. Standing behind her with his Saber fully extended to the side and a current of crimson electricity marking his path, Zero heard Vale gasp in shock and horror at her mistake as a livid gash opened across her mid-section, through her armor and shattered the armor into pieces. Falling to her knees as the current dissipated, Vale started to chuckle through the pain. Zero sheathed his Saber and moved to stand in front of her once again. She looked up at him, a pained expression painted on her features as she slowly expired, and saw the 'Red Death' of history. Again, she chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Zero asked icily.

"You. You truly...are...'The O-Omega'. Of course you are... Only D-Death would..." She coughed and a mixture of 'blood' and fluid spewed from her mouth. She wiped it away, the grin never leaving her face. "Only Death... Could look as good... As... You." With a shudder, Vale collapsed to the floor and started the familiar overload of dying Reploids. Zero dashed to a safe distance and watched Vale explode in a violet blast of flame. The beeping of his comm brought Zero's attention away from battle.

"All clear Iris. No damage sustained."

"Good. That harlot deserved what she got for taking you on." Iris was still flustered over Vale's flirtatious approach of Zero.

"Are you...jealous?" Zero asked, barely stifling a laugh.

"Absolutely not. No Maverick could turn your heart... Could it?" Iris' tone dared Zero to make a joke. He wasn't foolish enough to try.

"Not in a thousand years."

A/N: First legit combat sequence. Had to make it a 'Perfect' victory for Zero. Just to show that time or tech doesn't matter against pure skill. Hope you all enjoyed Vale as well, sorry she didn't make past our Hero. As usual, please R&R. Although I intend to continue writing this with or without feedback, just a little something would be helpful. Until the next chapter.


	7. Chapter 6- The Imperium

**Me: Got some feedback. Jumping directly into this next chapter.**

 **Samuel: That's great, Sypher. Immerse yourself and worry about opinions later.**

 **Me: Thanks Doc. Good to know some of my characters have my back.**

 **Roto: HEY! I had your back last chapter... Never got a 'thanks'.**

 **Me: My bad, Roto. You know I appreciate the support. Wanna hit the Disclaimer for me?**

 **Roto: No probs. SypherZero owns nothin' from MMX or any other Capcom related places/items. OC's and story are all his though.**

Chapter 6- The Imperium

It had been two hours since Roto and Samuel had parted ways after their debriefing. And after laying in his room staring at the ceiling for most of that time, Roto decided to find the Doc. Jumping out of bed and dusting his clothes off, as he was again in human form, Roto dashed out the door...Almost knocking someone into the wall in the process.

Roto reached out to grab the arm of his unsuspecting victim in an attempt to halt her fall. He wasn't expecting, however, for the power in that falling arm to be strong enough to whip him into the same wall if it tried. Pulling the lab coat wearing Reploid to her feet, Roto finally got a good look at her face and smiled brightly.

"Coco! Sorry, shoulda been Watchin' where I was going."

"Roto, would you please stop calling me 'Coco'. It's 'Cordelia'."

"How long have you been askin' me that question, Coco?"

Cordelia sighed as Roto and her spoke in tandem.

"Since you first started calling me that."

Cordelia couldn't help but laugh. Although it was irksome, Roto meant well and he never said it around anyone but Dr. Samuel, so she was thankful. At first she had thought he was trying to flirt with her, but soon realized it was more of a brotherly expression as opposed to romantic and never really stopped him since. Both, fully recovered from the collision, started walking to the elevator that led to Samuel's lab.

"Sorry I couldn't join you guys at the site, but I had a ton of work here that I'd been putting off." Cordelia apologized. Roto scoffed and waved it away.

"No biggie. Next time, though, you got no choice. You gotta meet him." Roto said quietly as the entered the elevator.

"I fully intend to. I just don't get why Dr. Samuel didn't tell Command." Cordelia said in a whisper as the doors closed.

They descended the three floors in silence conspiratorially glancing at each other. It made them uneasy to be holding onto such a huge secret, but also knew that Zero needed his existence to remain hidden until he was ready. The doors opened and the pair exited walking quickly to the lab.

Before either could reach for the door, Samuel opened it with a smile and ushered them in. Samuel checked the hallway once more then closed the door. Walking past his colleagues to his small desk, he sat down and smiled at the tense looking duo. They seemed to relax immediately as Samuel smiled at them.

"Pretty sure they bought it.", the doctor said without further preamble. Roto pumped his fist and Cordelia loosed a relieved sigh. Roto grabbed a chair and spun it backwards before plopping down in it. Cordelia rolled her eyes at him and sat down properly in the other empty seat before addressing Samuel.

"So, we have continued clearance to explore the area?"

"Indeed we do. I've scheduled us a bedded transport and several days of provisions for tomorrow's return trip."

Roto' eyes grew. "We're campin' out there?" He asked excitedly.

"As long as Zero approves it. That way we can help with repairs while we search the base. And..." Samuel looked behind him to the incomplete red capsule half covered by a tarp. "Maybe find out if this thing works."

Roto and Cordelia both looked past the doctor to see the unfamiliar capsule. Both shared the same expression of confusion and before either could ask, Samuel sighed and started to rub his temples before speaking.

"It's some of my earliest research. No one would touch it, though." the doctor said sadly. "It's based on Maverick and Omega research. And we all know that no self respecting organization would condone any project of that nature."

"Hold on Doc. Are you sayin' that's a Maverick upgrade pod?" Roto asked, more than a little surprised.

"Not at all. In theory, it's a Zero upgrade pod."

"How is that even possible Doctor?" Cordelia asked. "According to all sources, Dr. Wily never intended for Omega Zero to need upgrades and had not built his systems to receive them. That was his primary flaw in comparison to X's design."

"That's true," Samuel nodded, "If you recall, however, Zero had begun to upgrade himself after finding and studying copies of his blueprints. Hence, the Sougenmu Program, Hadangeki Wave and Rekkoha abilities. With this capsule, in theory, Zero would be able to activate 'Omega Mode' as a Combat Upgrade Utility as opposed to a Critical Systems sub-routine. Thus giving him, fully, control of the Omega Zero properties without loss of Cognitive Perception filters."

Roto scratched his head, obviously confused by what Samuel was explaining. Cordelia's expression, however, was one of shock and awe.

"Doctor... You've built an 'Ultimate' upgrade capsule for Zero..."

Samuel again nodded with a slight grin.

"In theory, yes. Until now, there was no practical way I could test it. Which is why it's coming with us. Between us and Zero, I'm almost positive I can work it out. Just have to make sure Command doesn't get a whiff of it. It could cause a **LOT** of strife for everyone involved. And the last thing I want is for you two to get into trouble because of my, shall we say, Maverick behavior."

Roto waved away Samuel's concern.

"No biggie, Doc. We got our stories straight. Odd readings and such. Further data needed. Yada, yada, yada."

Cordelia swatted Roto's shoulder, chastising him physically for his lack concern and almost knocked him from his seat.

"This is serious! Treat it that way, lug-nut. If Command finds out, it's prison for us for a long time. Maverick oriented research that doesn't involve decommission or data extraction is a Capitol Offense. And I, for one, don't feel like spending the next 60 years in jail because you're a goofball."

"Ok, ok. Jeez. You didn't havta hit me, Coco."

"Enough you two. Cordelia, Command will be sending two officials to interview/review you before they give you the 'All Clear' to join us. I was able to get Roto cleared with me, because he's been part of my assignment for a while now. Stick to the basics, keep a bit of bored detachment when they show up and you should avoid any unneeded questions. As for me, I'm headed off to bed. 7am is far too soon for my liking right now."

The trio exited the lab and Samuel gave a tired wave to Roto and Cordelia before making his way to the elevator. Roto watched the doctor leave, a pang of sympathy resonating through him for his Human companion. Roto understood that Samuel was risking everything in his life by lying to Imperium Command, but he respected the Doc for taking the risk for the greater good. He was about to share his thoughts with Cordelia when he noticed that she was lost in her own thoughts and a look of concern was floating on her face.

"What's wrong, Cor? You're not worryin' over this review are ya?"

"No." she responded quickly giving Roto a small glance. "What if the Nihilists found the base? What if they are trying to convert Zero and Iris as we speak? That could spell tragedy for the world on a scale not seen since the first Void drops..."

Roto eyes nearly fell from his head as he looked at Cordelia incredulously before hooking his arm around her shoulders and giving a squeeze. He smiled at her, that all-knowing-completely-irritating smile that always pulled her from dark thoughts.

"No way in Hell. Zero knows a bad deal when he sees it. And nothin', and I mean **NOTHING,** could persuade him to join **THEM**. Pretty sure Iris would dismantle him before that could happen. Relax. I got a feeling this shitty war is about to come to a very vicious close with the good guys finally on top."

"I've had enough of all the destruction, Roto. You know that's why I transferred out of Battalion to Science. After 'The Long Five', I've been a pessimist about all the 'Fighting for Peace' schtic and I don't know if the world could take **THE** Omega-class Reploid joining the Armada."

"You're thinkin' too much. Go to your bunk an' rest before the 'Suits' show up. Give 'em the blah-blah-razza-razza so they'll clear you and let's worry about Mavericks and War when we need ta." Roto responded with a bright smile and a pulled Cordelia into a friendly hug before waving farewell and heading off around the corner. Although Roto made her feel less tense about the situation at hand, she still couldn't help but worry. Deciding he was right, though, Cordelia headed back to her room.

Three hours later there was a chime at her door and Cordelia admitted the two Imperium officials. One was a Human female that Cordelia immediately recognized as Dr. Emma Reese, head of the Science & Research Corps. The other was male, Reploid and decidedly military in baring that gave Cordelia a sense of unease. Attempting to be a polite hostess, she offered the pair seats. Dr. Reese accepted with a smile, while her counterpart remained on his feet with his hands linked behind his arrow-straight back. He spoke first.

"You are Cordelia Allon, correct?" he stated the question with a blunt force that made it seem to be a statement. Taken slightly aback, Cordelia simply nodded.

"Colonel Gainis, please. This isn't an interrogation, it's a service review. The poor girl already thinks she's headed to the gallows. Forgive my overly-assertive protégé, Assistant Allon. He's purely Military minded in his approach."

"I understand, Dr. Reese. I was formerly in Battalion Command, so I'm used to the direct approach. I was just caught off guard." Cordelia responded, glancing at Gainis slightly who hadn't moved a centimeter since taking his place aside and slightly behind the doctor.

Dr. Reese kept her smile on but seemed surprised that Cordelia was formerly Battalion. Sensing the pair wished to hear why she'd changed stations, Cordelia took a deep breath and spoke.

"I fought with the 202nd during The Long Five. We did alright for ourselves, for the most part. But, towards the end, things got hairy on a grand scale and most of the 202 was wiped out along with the 150th, 320th and the 707th. I was friends with a lot of them since Basic, and their loss was too much for me to handle at the time. So, before Command reassigned me to another unit, I transferred to S&R. And that's where I've been since."

Cordelia hated opening that wound, but she could tell Gainis was looking for the 'deserter's' story. After hearing it, however, the menacing Reploid seemed to ease up and his stance relaxed.

"I apologize for my direct nature, Miss Allon. I was a member of the 150 during The Five. Losing comrades is never easy, nor does it get easier when forced to relive it." the colonel said with no small amount of contrition in his words. Cordelia nodded to him, then looked back to Dr. Reese who was looking through files.

"You Reploids never cease to amaze me. Now, to the business at hand. You requested to join Dr. Mavris on his excavation assignment earlier today, correct?" the senior scientist asked and Cordelia nodded.

"So, the question I have is this: why? Up until today, Dr. Mavris abhorred his excavation assignment, trying on more occasions to get out of it than I care to remember. Then, quite out of the blue, he finds..." Dr. Reese looked at her paperwork.

" 'Unidentified Energy Signatures' near his site and makes a requisition for a week's worth of Human and Reploid provision for an 'extended on-site stay to investigate and quantify' his findings. Why would he need a second researcher in this? His current assistant should be more than adequate." Dr. Resse finished.

"With all due respect to Roto, ma'am, he's a bit of a lug-nut. He's more than capable of assisting Dr. Mavris with physical tasks or equipment failures, but as far as **ACTUAL** finding studies, he'd be quite useless. I've worked with the doctor on several projects in the past and when he asked me to join him this time I felt it was an excellent opportunity to do some field work, as I've been lab-bound for most of my tenure with S &R."

Cordelia finished and watched the doctor and colonel closely, but unobviously, as she rose from her seat and got a bottle of water. The pair were speaking quietly, seemingly exchanging thoughts for a moment before Dr. Reese turned back to Cordelia and standing up herself.

"Well then, can't argue with facts now can we?" the doctor said with a smile. "I'll send the approval up the chain with the good colonel here. Although I don't see what could be causing these reading, or the need for extra bodies out there, I **CAN** see that you want to go exploring and **WON'T** take 'no' for an answer. You leave with Samuel and Roto tomorrow morning. Good luck, Assistant Allon."

With a sweet smile and polite wave, Dr. Reese and Colonel Gainis left Cordelia alone. As she dropped into bed to begin her recharge cycle, all the day's stress finally started to melt away as there was one less thing to worry about. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Dr. Reese and Gainis entered the elevator at the end of the hall. They were silent on the trip up to the 45th floor, more as a precaution from prying ears than a real need for it. Upon exiting the elevator, the colonel broke the silence.

"Do you believe her story, ma'am?"

"Which, colonel? Her military background or the reason she wishes to join Samuel?"

"I can look into her Battalion history, but I don't think she would lie about that... No one involved in The Five wishes to think or talk about it, and I saw she wasn't very willing to explain that to us. I was referring to her S&R story."

The doctor nodded slightly, but the colonel could tell there was something amiss and pressed the issue.

"Should I assign them some other 'personnel'?"

"No, colonel. Dr. Mavris isn't our problem. His past has never played a part in how he's conducted himself within The Imperium, nor do I believe it is now. Perhaps a 'helping hand', though. Assign 2 Sniper units and a squad of Regulars to patrol that general area while they're there. Have them leave tonight to set up, but make sure the doctor and his crew are unaware of it. Samuel is always looking for the 'next big find' and perhaps he's finally found it. The last thing he wants is Battalion Command breathing down his back. That'll be all, for now, colonel."

"Of course, ma'am. Good night."

The colonel saluted, the traditional knife-edge hand to the brow, and left Dr. Reese at the door to her quarters. She shook her head, smiling, and entered her room thinking, ' _Truly... Never cease to amaze._ '

A/N: Welcome to Imperium Command. Lots of talking happening here, with a little light shone on Samuel's past. And a new friend. Hope you all liked Cordelia, she'll be playing a large part in the capsule research. And although they're the 'good guys' here, how do you all feel about Doc Reese's exchange with Gainis after leaving Cordelia? As usual, R&R. Next chapter, coming soon, will head back into Nihilist territory. Hope to see you there.


	8. Chapter 7- Maverick Lost

**Foreword/Disclaimer: I'd like to thank Nikki for the review. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. And thanks to her and RMX4 for following. I appreciate you sticking around. I own nothing MMX, although that would be nice. OC's and story, however, are all mine**.

Chapter 7- Maverick Lost

The report had come to Null's attention at a most inconvenient hour, and the carrier just barely escaped with his life. Tired eyes scanned through the words with little interest until the very end. Quickly dressing, she headed to her study, much to the chagrin of her 'guest' who she'd just as quickly dismissed. Once sealed inside Null carefully read each line of the report aloud, a volcano beginning to erupt in her chest.

" ** _1100 hrs: Routine patrol of old Mega City ruins area. Lt. Vale and squad of three investigate the area after sighting one Human, one Reploid(class undetermined) leaving the area via Dragoon-class hoverbikes._**

 ** _1122 hrs: Search of area finds excavation site of medium size. Several chambers discovered leading to dead-ends, with little to no gear or provisions on-site. Presumed to be Imperium S &R site inhabited during the hours of 0500-1100._**

 ** _1140 hrs: Lt. Vale and company locate underground structure buried in the ruins. Inspection reveals former military-like base. Terminals indicate most of the facility is inaccessible due to cave-ins and weakened infrastructure. Lt. Vale speculates the base as being the former Maverick Hunters HQ, based on insignia found on-site._**

 ** _0210 hrs: Lt. Vale and company manage to access several parts of the base and confirm speculations. Terminal access reveals energy signatures in base, with access being restored slowly throughout and encrypted communication being used on-site._**

 ** _0230 hrs: Lt. Vale's company engages 'Unknown Force' and is rendered 'Unconscious' or Inoperable'._**

 ** _0233 hrs: Lt. Vale engages 'Unknown Force'_**

 ** _0237 hrs: Lt. Vale's life-signs expire and communication with company cease. End Report."_**

Null held the tablet containing the report tightly in her grasp, barely containing her fury. Vale had been a kindred spirit, of sorts. Enjoying mind games and manipulations as much as Null, she was more prone to use her 'physical' appeal as opposed to Fear to get what she wanted. Several times, in fact, Vale had attempted such with Null. Although the transpiring events were enjoyable, Null decisions were never affected by such. Her loss, however, was a blow to the Armada that wouldn't be recovered from quickly or easily as she was well loved by all who encountered her charm. Null's fury finally boiled over as she snapped the tablet in half and tossed the remains at her door.

Before she could collect her thoughts a pounding came to the door, threatening to smash it down should it not open. Null knew who stood behind it. And she wasn't fully prepared to deal with **HIM** right now. As fate always seemed to have it, though, she would be left with little choice as the doors were practically wrenched into the doorjamb and a seething Brav entered her study.

"Who the **FUCK** is responsible?!" he roared, not caring if anyone was listening. Not caring that he stood before his Commander. He was emotional, and Null understood why. Over recent years, Brav and Vale had become somewhat of a couple. Usually they performed their duties and missions together, and this was something he'd blame not only the one responsible but himself for as well. He was on a mission for blood, and Null saw how to redirect him instantly in his outburst. So quick it wouldn't have been perceptible, Null composed herself.

"Unknown, Sergeant. As I can see, you've also seen the report. Else you wouldn't have almost torn my doors down."

"I'm in no mood for your games right now. I don't care what you say about this, Null. Whoever did this is **MINE! NO ONE** goes near that site until I drag a corpse out! If I see so much as a black **SPECK** near there, I shred it. I'm doing this alone."

"Brav..." Null started but quickly leapt to the side as Brav's Beam Longsword almost decapitated her. She felt the fury of that volcano growing again, but pushed it away. Brav couldn't hit her if she stood still, but that didn't mean she appreciated having a weapon pulled on her. She had a goal in mind for Brav now and needed a level head, not Fear or Fury, to guide him into the role. Null gave him her most sympathetic look, attempting to bring him back to hearing reason but he was gazing into the Wastes his thoughts lost in vengeance. Several tense moments passed before Brav finally lowered his weapon and spoke, a monotone of heartbreak and rage.

"No one goes near those ruins until I bring back a body. And if you think about sneaking me when I leave, know this: Next time I **WON'T** miss. And now's not the time to test the theory."

Turning to leave, Brav tossed Null an over-the-shoulder glance, a familiar look she'd come to call his farewell stare.

"I blame your _'Dog_ ' as much as anyone else. He'd do well to avoid me too."

With that he finally departed leaving Null to reconfigure her thoughts. She'd expected all of Brav's actions, even the attempt on her life. What she hadn't expected was his closing remark about Kay. Their rivalry had always been encouraged, fostered at points by Null's careful manipulations. This new development, however, could turn that rivalry into a personal vendetta leading to the unneeded death of another link in her command chain. The volcano finally erupted as one of the aides stepped into the study to check on Null and he was lanced through the chest by a beam of deep purple hard-light that shot from her fingertips. Spreading her fingers, the beam split into five smaller rays and shredded the poor soul as Null stood seething.

" **SOMEONE CLEAN THIS UP, NOW! AND GET GENERAL KAY HERE IMMEDIATELY!"** Null roared.

Moments later, mess cleared away, Kay appeared at the door. His gaze fell to the stains on the floor then up to Null who was gazing out into the Wastes, hands clasped tightly behind her back. He cleared his throat and she turned to meet his eyes with a dark and cold state he'd not seen in ages from the commander.

"You requested me, ma'am?" he said, choosing his words carefully.

"Vale's dead, General. Brav has gone _'Rouge_ ' due to it and believes you to be as responsible as whoever ended her life."

Kay couldn't keep the shock from his face, but cleared it away quickly. _'What in the seven Hells._..?' Attempting to clear his thoughts enough to respond he was surprised even further when Null raised a hand to stop him from speaking.

"Because you pulled him off his usual duties to assist in the clean up actions in the Wastes." Null answered his unspoken question. "So now, we have a problem. He's gone to the old Mega City ruins in search of her killer. Should he succeed, he'll return here and attempt to retire you as well. Should he fail, it won't matter because he'll be dead. The problem: how to wrangle him back into the fray for the Armada **WITHOUT** significant losses."

"Ma'am, with all due respect to Brav and his ' _ **abilities**_ ', I've no fear of him retiring me. I was designed to battle against Reploids like him."

"Not the point, General..." Null said with a tone so icy it almost froze Kay's fluids. "As of right now, Brav is an unknown quantity that poses a threat to our continued existence. Your new assignment is to make sure we get him back in as singular a piece as possible. He can be reprogrammed, if necessary, and have these memories wiped to make him effective once more. Get him back here, General. Or I may just consider letting him gouge your processors into slag. Dismissed."

Null' stone of finality left Kay no options to retort and, with a hasty salute, he set out knowing failure was **NOT** an option if he wished to continue breathing. Null made her way down to Sub-Level 60 to 'confer' with Lacadian. The scientist was knowledgable about the histories of the Maverick Hunters and Null believed she may provide insights. Entering the cell's chamber she was shocked to find Lacadian reading. As Null approached, she noticed **WHAT** the scientist was reading: Null's copy of X's memoirs. Another flash of molten fury began to build in her chest.

"Where...did...you...get... **THAT**?!"

Lacadian never took her eyes from the book.

"It was beamed in with my meal. And I must say, you've done a fair amount of handling this. But you must do so in a very tended way. It's in excellent condition."

Null was having a hard time keeping herself in check today, as the thought of disengaging the electromag containment field dominated her at the moment. Lacadian was too important, however, for rash actions to dictate her right now. Smoothing out her hair and regaining her composure, Null addressed Lacadian as calmly as possible.

"Well, enjoy it. I'd like it returned in the condition you received it. This visit, however, isn't a discussion of reading materials. What do you know about the Maverick Hunters former headquarters?"

This caught Lacadian's attention as she closed the book and set it down next to her uneaten meal. A cunning smile crept onto the corners of her mouth that added to Null's irritation.

"Apparently something you **DON'T**. How interesting."

"Don't play with me today, Lacadian. A beloved officer has been killed and I'm not of sound mind."

"You're never of sound mind. Your Creator made sure of that."

Null had no interest in Lacadian's attempts to goad her so she simply raised an open hand and began to slowly close it. As she did so, Lacadian's cell began to slowly descend into the bubbling pit. This brought a look of panic onto Lacadian's face that Null felt invigorated by. As the bottom of the cell hovered just inches from the vat, the vapors from the fluid began to melt the plexiglass eliciting a small shriek from it occupant. Slowly reopening her hand and raising the cell away from danger, Null smiled wickedly at Lacadian's fear.

"Now, let's talk like civilized individuals. Shall we?"

"You're insane! What do you know about 'civilized'?" Lacadian barked.

"Tell me what you know about Zero. Now."

Lacadian looked confused by the topic of conversation and Null sighed as she eloborated.

"Where was he Retired? Where is his body located?"

"I don't know. No one does. All records concerning Zero after the Repliforce Incident are either lost, deleted or don't exist. What do you want with his body anyway? The Maverick Virus that he produces is obsolete and was cured back in 29XX."

"That's not what I need him for. I need information contained within his processors and cognitive matrix."

Lacadian finally understood what Null was looking for, distress flooding her features.

"You can't do that Null... Nothing and no one can control Omega. He'll be just as quick to destroy you as anything else."

"Let me worry about containing 'The Omega'. **YOU** worry about pulling that information out of your pretty little head."

Null proceeded to walk out, barely hearing Lacadian's protests. Before exiting she turned to face her prisoner.

"Oh, Lacadian. I want my book back when you've finished it. Enjoy my notes at the end."

Two hours after his encounter with Null, Brav arrived at the excavation site. He thought about the report he'd read the entire ride, seething and preparing, an uncontainable need to shed blood and rend bodies consuming him. He couldn't allow himself to believe that Vale was gone, killed by some _'Unknown Forc_ e'. He'd find this source and exact a great deal of pleasure pulling them apart _. 'Circuit by circuit until they feel_ _ **EVERY**_ _ounce of pain that she felt. I'll make sure they_ _ **NEVER**_ _forget you, Vale. That's my word...'_ Leaving his customized Phoenix hoverbike on a small overlook, Brav headed down to the site on foot.

Barely into his trek, his long distance radar chimed at him indicating movement around a mile from his position. Booster-Dashing to a nearby boulder, Brav took cover and activated the range scanner in his helmet. His HUD filled with data, including distance, model designations and current armament. He scoffed at the small force arranged two and half miles from his current position. _'8 basic combat units and 2 snipers... No way_ _ **THEY**_ _are responsible. Still... No reason to let Imperium soldiers keep breathing.'_

Pulling several components from various places on his armor, Brav quickly assembled his rifle. Slapping a power unit into it and linking it into his HUD, Brav took aim and fired several rounds into the Imperium troops before Booster-Dashing towards them. His HUD alerted him, **_'1 hit, non-lethal, 2 kills'_** , as he closed the distance with incredible speed and fired several more rounds into the group before they returned fire. Brav leapt into the air, his face set in a feral grin as he sped towards his targets ready to unleash destruction.

Shot after shot either missed completely or was diffused by his shielding system as Brav landed amongst his foes and slammed his fist into the ground. The kinetic energy Brav had built up during his high-speed approach, coupled with the shots his shield had absorbed, was stored by his armor and released when he slammed into the ground and unloaded a concussion wave that cratered the ground, crashed into his opponents and sent them scattering. Standing and drawing his Beam Longword, grin still in place, Brav attacked.

His HUD located the sniper unit, the other had been one of the confirmed kills earlier. Dashing with a speed far greater than than even Overdrive Programs allowed, Brav caught the sniper with a diagonal slash that bisected him from left shoulder to right hip. Spinning with his momentum his blade found a second target and tore deep into the solider's armor but left her alive. Driving his blade down into her chest finished her off. _'4 down already... This won't take much longer..._ ' he thought as he dodged to the left to avoid an incoming shot and closed the distance to his next target.

The already injured Reploid attempted to run but found no purchase on the ground and Brav drove his orange blade through his back, destroying the artificial heart and Core Life Support unit. With a kick, Brav cleared the dead unit from his weapon and faced off with the remaining three. Two held Beam Sabers the other was outfitted with a specialized Buster.

Brav turned his wicked grin to the Saber wielders and pointed the tip of his sword at them and charged. Both came as one to meet him and locked blades with the Maverick, who looked past them to the cannon unit who'd begun to charge his weapon. With a mighty shove, Brav freed himself from the blade lock and hacked a mighty blow that removed the sword arm of it's victim. Before the injured fighter could fall a swift horizontal swing removed her head. Her comrade, upon seeing her brutal end, rushed forward with a flurry of attacks trying desperately to strike Brav down. But he was sloppy and soon found himself impaled to the hilt on Brav's blade and with a twist, the Maverick silently ended the brave Imperium warrior's life. The cannon wielder was unaware of this fact, however, and held his fire in hopes of not destroying his ally. Brav snickered to himself and pressed his advantage.

"You're gonna send that Buster into Overload soon if you don't loose that charge. But, can you? You're both dead regardless. You hit me, the Void charge in my chest goes off and we **ALL** go up in disassembled particles. You miss me... Well, that's your buddy here turned to hot slag. You pull the 'Sacrifice' and **HOPEFULLY** the charge never fires off. So, Impy, whaddaya gonna do?"

Brav began to step towards the gunner and, at the last second possible, deactivated his blade and tossed the dead Reploid. Realization of Brav's stall came too late to the gunner as he unloaded his Buster into the flying body of his brave confederate, turning it into molten shrapnel. Brav had expected this and leapt into the air to land behind his target, took hold of his head and twisted with a sickening **_'SNAP_** ' breaking the solider's neck. Holding tightly to the now limp body, Brav wrenched with all his might and tore the head from its body, a spray of artificial blood and oil splashing across his face and chest armor.

Tossing the severed head to the side and admiring the carnage, Brav was pulled from his gory reverie by his HUD flashing a warning. He'd missed two and they were attempting to open a communication to Imperium Command. _'Cant have that._ ' he thought. Opening a panel in his forearm and punching three keys in quick succession, Brav's sinister smile deepened as his HUD flashed the message ** _'Communications Jamme_** d'. A quick radar scan found his prey near the entrance to the site. Brav began to slowly stalk his way down to finish the job, shouting out to the survivor as he did so.

 **"YOU'RE ALL JAMMED UP NOW! DON'T PROLONG THIS ANYMORE THAN YOU HAVE TO! COME ON OUT AND DIE WITH SOME DIGNITY AND HONOR, INSTEAD OF COWERING IN A CORNER!"**

" **AND WHAT THE HELL WOULD A MAVERICK KNOW ABOUT HONOR AND DIGNITY?!"** The stoic, yet frightened voice called back.

Brav sneered, and said to himself, "Fine, you little shits. Have it your way." Sliding his left hand up and reconfiguring several plates of armor around it, Brav arm converted into a Plasma Cannon similar in design to the old Maverick Vile's Shoulder Cannon. Taking aim near the makeshift tunnel mouth he opened fire with three huge blasts of red and black energy tearing gouges into the stone. His radar showed the duo retreating into the caves and he Booster-Dashed the rest of the way in an attempt to catch them before they scattered into the tunnels of the excavation site.

As Brav reached the entryway he was struck with a semi-charged Buster shot that pushed him back. His HUD flashed a diagnostic telling him his shield had ablated most of the blast, but its power level was down to 20% and couldn't handle another shot like that. Growling at his stupidity he fired several blasts into the cave, rending stone and kicking up dust clouds.

Switching his HUD over to IR to deal with the obscurity of the dust, Brav marched into the cave in search of his prey. After dealing with their comrades in short order, Brav felt his ire rising having to chase after cowards. ' ** _THIS_** i _s why the Imperium will fail. Why it_ _ **HAS**_ _to fall_. _The spineless don't deserve to live_.' Brav's radar beeped and his HUD flashed a warning: ' ** _Incoming Attack from the Rear'_** and he dropped to the floor as a Buster shot sailed past him.

Laying flat, Brav fired his Cannon behind him and watched the cowardly solider be enveloped by the plasma bolt and explode. The bright blast filled his IR filtered HUD and he was temporarily blinded by the intense light produced from the augmentation program. Shutting the light filter down, Brav rubbed his eyes trying to clear his vision, his optics had overloaded and the blindness was grinding his nerves. Another warning blared from his radar, but without sight Brav couldn't tell where the attack was coming from and he just rolle to the side until he hit a wall and heard a Buster shot sail past him.

Using the wall to lever himself up, Brav activated his Sonar Augment system and located his target ahead, but already in retreat. Roaring, Brav gave chase relying on his Sonar to guide him through the tunnels. After running around for what seemed like hours, but in fact was only a few minutes in a blind fury, Brav's vision cleared and he found himself staring down the barrel of a Buster. Brav stood still as the shaking barrel aimed at his head and smiled. _'Rookie. This'll be fun.'_

"What now, boy? Can you pull the trigger? Something tells me 'no'." Brav taunted.

"Shut up! You killed them all because you're a monster. I'm not like you Armada Mavericks. I don't kill for sport. You're coming back to Imperium Command with me."

Brav laughed wholeheartedly.

"You really think so, kid? And what makes you think that's a possibility? You're shaking. I twitch the right way, you miss and die. **YOU** twitch the right way, maybe you get lucky and blow my shield out. End result: you die. Why not just accept it and I'll make it quick?"

"Because Mavericks like you never come out on top." came a calm yet powerful voice from behind Brav. "Not even two days out and already I have to wipe the floor with another of you. At least the last one was decent looking."

Brav spun around to face the voice, completely forgetting about the scared young solider, a burning hate building deep inside his soul and stared daggers at the blonde haired, crimson armored warrior.

"You killed Vale?" he asked the unknown Reploid quietly.

"Killed is a hard term for dealing with a trespassing Maverick. I prefer 'Retired'." came the cold response.

Brav gave up all pretense of civility, sarcasm and sanity as he loosed a blood freezing scream and swung his cannon towards his new enemy. It never made it, as the red Reploid moved with incredible speed and crushed the side of Brav's face with a palm strike that pixelated his vision. Unable to recover, Brav was further stumbled as his opponent laid into to his mid-section with a lightning fast four-hit combo ending with a somersault kick that floored him and left him dazed.

"If you and that ribbon twirler were Armada Elites, cleaning you up shouldn't take me long."

Brav growled and shook off the assault as he got back to his feet and again attempted to take aim with his Cannon. To his surprise, the blonde Reploid drew a Beam Saber and moved into a defensive stance. Brav would've laughed had he not been so enraged and fired, only to be completely shocked as the warrior caught the blast on his emerald blade and sent it into the ceiling of the cave. Seeing how each attempt to use his Cannon was thwarted, Brav reconfigured his arm back to normal and drew his Longsword. The crimson Reploid smiled.

"So you **DO** have other tricks in your bag besides that Vile cannon. Let's see if you're a better sword then gunner."

They dashed at each other in a furious collision of blades, exchanging flurries and parries so fast the eye would have a hard time keeping track. Brav's blade had the reach, but the red warrior had the skill and speed to match him strike for strike. The confines of the cave also made it difficult for Brav to set up the crushing blows his weapon was renowned for. During a particular pass, Brav swung too wide and his opponent dashed past him with a slash the left a rent in his chest plate and an ache in his ribs. For all the rage, fury and effort, it seemed that Brav was no match for Vale's murderer. ' ** _NO! HE WILL DIE!'_** the Maverick screamed in his head and charged once more only to be grabbed and violently thrown to the stone floor, again blurring his vision.

Before he could recover again he let out a howl as a piercing hot flame erupted him his shoulder. He felt his enemy's blade pushing deep into the joint, threatening to tear the limb away with fire and pain. His HUD displayed more damage readouts then he'd thought he sustained in the short sword battle and the heat from the blade in his shoulder was raising his thermo reading into the red. He needed to get away, and fast, so in a desperation maneuver, Brav unleashed his Kinetic Wave attack, launching the red armored warrior and his blade down a tunnel. Brav stumbled to his feet and Booster-Dashed as fast as his failing systems could carry him and escaped the red demon in the cave.

He'd made it most of the way back to his hoverbike when his Boosters failed and he tumbled into a hard roll across the rough ground. Before he went into Critical Shutdown, Brav saw the massive frame of Kay looming over him and tried to grip the Reploid's leg but he was finished for now and slipped into unconsciousness. Kay collected Brav's body with a shake of his head and teleported away.

A/N: a nice bit of action this time around. Wanted to show off some of Brav's prowess before he ran into real trouble with our Hero. This isn't the last we'll see of the Longsword Psycho. And things aren't gonna remain bright for our heroes either, so don't get complacent. As usual, R&R. Appreciate any/all feedback. Until next chapter.


	9. Chapter 8- Memories in Sand

**Brav: What the HELL, Sypher?**

 **Me: What?**

 **Brav: After what I did out there, you had Zero mop me up like THAT? I call bullshit.**

 **Roto: (points at Brav, laughing)You got knocked the fuck out!**

 **Me: Well, maybe you should reconsider being such a dick to me in the future.**

 **Brav: (grumbles) I do as I'm designed and THIS is the thanks I get...**

 **Roto: Maybe you should just 'Retire', Brav. Might be safer for ya. (Continues laughing at Brav)**

 **Me: Easy, Roto. I did have Zero kill his lady friend, so I get where he's coming from. Who's hittin' the Disclaimer?**

 **Cordelia: Ohh, may I?**

 **Me: Go for it Cordelia.**

 **Cordelia: Thanks! SypherZero owns nothing from MegaMan X or any other Capcom related items that may appear. The story and OC's, however, are all his creations. Roto! Stop picking on the poor Maverick! He's having a hard enough time!**

 **Me: OH! Before I forget again... I made a mistake earlier when I thanked 'Nikki' for the review. That thanks actually goes out to Nina. I'm a bit spacey of mind sometimes. Hope I didn't offend. And, good thought about Colonel Gainis. Although not the Colonel we knew, he was designed with the same aesthetic. Without further ado, on with the story!**

Chapter 8- Memories in Sand

Zero's head was buzzing from his impact against a wall. The concussion burst, which he hadn't expected at all, had thrown him far into one of the excavation site's tunnels and ended abruptly against solid stone. Pulling himself into a standing position, Zero had to right himself against the wall as his head still swam from the desperation attack. ' _Anyone get the ID of that hovertank...?'_ he thought as he slowly recovered and started his way back to HQ. A shout of 'Zero!' over his comm helped clear the haze away.

"I'm alright, Iris. Just took a nasty shot. Returning to base now."

"Zero, respond!" Iris' voice came back over the comm, a note of rising panic evident.

Attempting several more times to respond to Iris, Zero huffed and cut his comm. ' _Must've shorted when I took that shockwave. Better get back before she loses it._ ' Distracted as he was by the communications issue, Zero didn't notice the Buster aimed his way until he heard the familiar high-pitched hum of it charging. ' _I'm_ **_REALLY_** _starting to slip in my old age...'_ Zero lowered his arms to his sides and slowly began to turn towards the humming Buster.

"Don't move!" shouted a very nervous voice. Zero stopped his motion, but turned his head to get a look. He was almost shocked to see a teenaged Reploid in green-blue armor standing just off to his side, his 'steady' hand shaking more than the charging Buster. Zero shook his head slightly thinking if the Imperium allowed recruits this young, their situation in this war was much worse off than he'd thought. Completing his turn to face the solider, Zero could see the fear in the young man's eyes.

"Easy, solider. I'm not your enemy." Zero said calmly.

"Who are you? This is a Restricted Area. O-Only Authorized Imperium personnel are permitted here." replied the nervous fighter.

"Like I said, I'm not your enemy here, you have my word. Uncharge the Buster and let's talk."

Zero could see the thoughts ticking behind the young Reploid's eyes, and after a moment he finally lowered his weapon, slumped against the nearby wall and buried his face in his hands, no longer able to keep his composure. Zero felt sorry for him, the young solider was the sole survivor of a vicious onslaught and had no idea what he was doing fighting in a war that had started long before he'd been built. Moving closer to him, Zero extended his hand to help him off the floor.

"What's you're name, kid?"

"Avery. PFC(Private 1st Class) Avery." he said taking Zero's hand and rising from the ground. "Who are you?" he asked, wiping the years from his face.

"Former Maverick Hunter. Can't tell you much else right now. Classified." Zero responded.

Avery tilted his head, confusion evident on his face.

"But... The Hunters were wiped out back in 30XX..."

"Yeah... So I keep hearing. Let's just say I've been laying low for a while and circumstances have forced me back into the world."

Before Avery could respond, Iris came dashing around a corner clad in purple, silver and sky-blue armor similar to Zero's. She was armed with a Beam Saber and Hard-Light Buckler that matched the purple of her armor. She stared at the pair, a hard look in her normally soft and friendly eyes. Seeing Zero in one piece, she deactivated her Saber and Buckler and moved to stand at his side, swatting his shoulder as soon as she got close enough.

"Why didn't you-?" She started.

"Comm's down. Impact must've shorted it."

"Well, next time steal one and let me know you're ok." she said before leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Who's your friend?"

"PFC Avery, allow me to introduce my Operator, and much better half-" Zero began but was cut off by the almost reverent tone of Avery finishing his sentence.

"Iris Callister... You're Iris Callister..."

Iris moved from Zero's side and positioned herself to evade or counter an attack.

"How do you know me?" she asked, suspicion beginning to wash over her. But Avery was now looking between the pair dumbstruck. He backed up a bit and looked them over as though it was his first second meeting them.

"But... If you're Iris, that means... Oh... Holy shit... You're Zero. You're Iris and Zero... This is insane! I was saved by the Legendary Zero AND met the Lady Iris... No one back at Command is gonna believe this."

"Private, compose yourself." Zero said firmly, bringing Avery back to the present. Iris glanced at Zero then to Avery.

"How do you know who I am, Avery?" she asked again, a calmer tone in her voice.

" **EVERYONE** know who you are. The Tale of Legendary Love is a classic." Avery said plainly, slightly confused by the question.

"The Tale of What?" Zero asked, his confusion more blatant than Avery's

"The Tale of Legendary Love. Back in the middle years of 25XX, an unknown author wrote the story of The Crimson Knight, Zero and The Lady of Flowers, Iris Callister. It was a retelling of the Repliforce story, with an emphasis on you two and how not even a war could keep you apart. Against the wishes of The Colonel, Iris ran away with Zero, trying desperately to live in peace.

When they were discovered, Colonel forces a duel to the death and is cut down by the Crimson Knight. Shattered by this, Iris turns to the Dark Man for powers to defeat Zero but is defeated by him. As she lay in his arms dying, Iris confesses her actions to her love and makes him vow to leave War behind.

With her final breath she tells Zero that, even in her rage, she loved him and not even Death could change that. Swearing that he would honor her wishes when the battle was over, Zero confronts the Dark Man and allows himself to be killed so that he can join his beloved forever."

As Avery finished his story, Iris and Zero exchanged a glance of knowing, of how close to the truth that was. Without thought, Zero's arm snaked around Iris' waist and he pulled her close, an overwhelming need to keep her near resonating through him. They lingered in silence for several moments before Zero spoke again, having bad news for the young Reploid.

"I'm sorry to say this, Private, but you can't leave here."

"What? But, I have to report back to Command. They need to know what happened to..."

Avery stopped. He'd been so focused on meeting the legendary duo that he forgot about the carnage he barely survived. Iris gently pulled away from Zero, seeing the pain in Avery's face as it all flooded back, and placed a hand on his shoulder. As he met her gaze, tears had once again welled up in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry for the loss of your friends, but we must keep ourselves a secret, at least for now. Only two others know we are still alive, and in order for us to be able to help it needs to remain that way. Zero will go and collect their remains, and I'll send an encrypted message to your commanders via your superior's transponder." Iris smiled at Avery, a sad and understanding smile. "We could use an extra hand, anyway, to help get the HQ in functional order again. What do you say, Private?"

Avery nodded. Iris pulled the boy into a comforting hug before looking back to Zero, wordlessly telling him to begin the macabre task of collecting the dead. He tossed her a melancholy grin and Booster-Dashed away while Iris lead Avery into the base.

Although he'd been ready for a bloody scene, Zero hadn't been prepared for the level of destruction and brutality the single Maverick fighter had caused. The broken bodies of eight soldiers lay in various states of death. Of that, Zero noticed, only 2 had died quickly, precise blaster wounds to the head and 'heart'. "I should've killed him..." Zero said to the fallen. Slowly, and respectfully, he began his task. The early morning sun shone bright and hot on Zero, again in his human form, as he finished and he started back to the base. A chime from his comm, which looked like a wireless Bluetooth headset when he was in the human form, caught his attention and he tapped the side of the unit hoping his self-repair had fixed the battle damage.

"Zero here."

"Hey Red!" Roto's voice came over the airwaves surprising Zero but brining a slight grin to his face at the friendly inflective from the unshakably cheerful Reploid.

"Good morning, Roto. What's the situation?"

"Jeez man, always so serious. Anyway, me and the Doc are in transit with gear and plus 1. No worries though, she's confirmed 'All Good'." Roto informed Zero, who just shook his head and sighed. _'More people? Nothing to be done about it now...',_ he thought before responding.

"ETA?" Zero asked.

"Ummmmm, at the rate this rig is goin', about an hour."

"Understood. Prepare for a briefing when you all get here. Things were interesting while you were gone. Zero out." he said and closed the transmission with Roto and opened one to Iris, who answered promptly.

"What's going on Zero?" she answered brightly.

"Doctor Mavris and two of his assistants are inbound. Estimated arrival in an hour."

" 'Two'? I thought...?" Iris started evidently perplexed. Zero quickly filled in the blanks. "Okay. That's not a bad thing, Zero. Besides, we could use the extra hands. Doctor Mavris seems trustworthy enough that he wouldn't compromise us. And, the base is too quiet, you know."

"Yeah. I fully agree. I'm heading in. Give Avery something to do that'll keep him away from Maintenance and B2 while I bring the remains in. I'll get Douglas' workshop running, I know his passcodes, and start the salvage process. When the doctor gets here, have him send Roto down to me. As an Infiltrator Unit, he should be able to handle what we need with his mods."

"Right. According to Avery we have approximately 6 hours before his Unit is due to report. We should have the transponder signal code by they. Any ideas on what your message will be?"

"A few, but I'll decide on the best course of action after the retrieval and decryption."

With that, Zero ended the transmission and began pulling the make-shift sled he's rigged up towards the cave. The grim task of collecting the remains of the fallen Imperium soldiers had brought memories rushing back to Zero. The faces of comrades and friends flashed through his mind's eye. Their expressions frozen in time at the moment of their death had plagued him for as long as he could remember. During his time as a Maverick Hunter, Zero had seen many fall in service and still he felt the powerlessness and rage that came with surviving. As he trudged back to the cave that led to the entrance of the base, he couldn't help but wonder where the world had gone so wrong while he and Iris had been in stasis. As quickly as the thoughts came to him Zero pushed them aside knowing that only more questions than answers would present themselves, as was usually the case with him.

As he approached the hole in the wall that lead down into the base, Zero noticed that a lift had been placed there. Although he was more than capable of getting the sled down to the ground level of the Maintenance bay, Zero was grateful for not having to do any unnecessary heavy lifting. ' _The little things.'_ he thought with a small mental grin as he boarded the lift and descended to the floor making his way to the Service elevator that led directly to Douglas' workshop.

Exiting the elevator, Zero began to move the sled forward towards the workshop triggering more memories from the past, of the bustle that had once occupied this floor. Even after a thousand years he could still smell oil and hydraulic fluid, hear the sounds of the clanking machinery that Douglas used to repair other Reploids and felt the old humidity that had permeated this area when it was in use. Zero sighed, the nostalgic thoughts dampening his already down mood, and got to work reactivating the shop.

Finding Douglas' private terminal and activating it, Zero smiled as the password prompt immediately appeared on screen. Because of the time he, and X, had spent on the mechanic's bench Zero had heard a dozen-dozen times from the grizzled grease jock that ' _Passwords are fallible. Pass_ _ **-PHRASES**_ _, however, are where smart minds hide there secrets.' I_ f only Douglas knew that Zero had memorized his. Leaning over the keyboard he typed 'X is the variable Z is the equation D solves the problem'. The screen flashed the message 'Access Granted' and the old Tesla generator that independently powered most of the floor roared to life after its long slumber. Overhead lights, terminals and machinery also, grudgingly, came alive as well and Zero gave an approving huff and commed Iris.

"Zero to Iris. B2 coming back online. Gonna take some work, but we should have it fully functional in no time."

"Excellent, Zero! That'll be a big help later on. We also just received a short-wave burst transmission from Dr. Mavris stating he and his crew are a little over a mile away and should arrive in minutes."

"Wait... We have external communications back?" Zero said with more surprise then he intended and heard Iris giggle.

"Of course we do. One of the first fixes I implemented was getting communications back up. I had Avery set up a multi-purpose transceiver unit and holo-transmissions array. Now, say it."

"You're the best, Iris." Zero replied, not as the joke she'd intended but as a matter of fact. She giggled anyway.

"I know. Now go greet our guests, then you can get back to work, Mister Maverick Hunter."

Making his way back to the Maintenance bay, Zero arrived in time to see Samuel and Roto boarding the lift with a large tarp covered hoversled. Roto noticed Zero before the doctor and shouted "BIG RED!" waving with purposeful over-enthusiasm. Samuel just shook his head and offered an apologetic nod to the Maverick Hunter. Zero, however, was still looking to the cave waiting for the third member of their party to arrive. After a moment when no one appeared, Zero turned to Samuel with a questioning look and the doctor walked over to him.

"Roto said you had a third with you."

"Indeed, Cordelia. She's parking our vehicle on the other side of the site where the vehicle storage is." Samuel told Zero as he looked around the bay, noticing that much of the power had been restored with a mildly shocked countenance. "I must say, you work quickly. I didn't expect you two to have so much done before we'd gotten back."

"The base is at 35% functionality, with power restored to all open areas and external communications restored. Which brings me to our briefing agenda. I was hoping I would have your whole party here, but, we had a situation."

Samuel's expression went even more shocked as Zero informed him of the two Armada Mavericks that had shown up and the squad of Imperium soldiers that had fallen. Worry creased Samuel's brow as he took in the information and he began to run his temples. Roto, on the other hand, looked nonchalantly at the doctor and gave Zero a wide smile.

"Aside from our troops, looks like you handled the 'situation' without a hassle. Those dirt-born Mavericks ID themselves?"

"Only one. She called herself Vale. Exotic weapons fighter. I've never encountered Beam Whips before, and she put up a fight. But, no matter the weapon, a Maverick is a Maverick and it's my duty to Retire them. The other one, however, was a real nasty piece of work: composite armor with several weapons compartments, high speed Boost capabilities, Longsword, shields and a kinetic discharge system that surprised me with its effectiveness. But, I think the arm-mounted Plasma Cannon he had was probably the deadliest tool in his arsenal."

Roto's eyes went wide as Zero ran off the Mavericks specs. Samuel and Zero both noticed.

"Roto," Zero said, "You know that guy?"

"Yeah... That's Brav the Berserk. He's a unit destroyer, equipped to fight solo against small-to-medium sized groups. I've seen plenty footage of his 'work'. Closest thing to Vile ever built."

"I noticed." Zero replied, darkly.

"This isn't good, Zero. If the Imperium sent units here, that means they were meant to report on what I was doing. You said that you collected the remains. Where are they?" Samuel asked.

"B2. The service elevator over there will take you directly to the workshop. I need Roto to do some extraction work and get the unit commanders processor and personal transponder codes so Iris can send a text-only report. We have 5 hours before it's due. Also, we have a prisoner in Containment and a single survivor of Brav's attack."

Samuel and Roto now shared an expression of shock at learning that, not only had someone survived, but Zero had captured an Armada solider. Before either could ask another question, however, Cordelia's voice echoed into the bay.

"Should I just jump down?" She asked.

"Remote code for the lift is 918. Add it to your comm setting and it'll respond as you need it to."

Zero said then looked to Samuel again. "Your third, I assume?"

"Yes. That's Cordelia Allon. Used to be a fighter, but grew tired of it and joined S&R. She's Roto's best friend, although they bicker like siblings." Samuel explained to Zero as he watched Roto greet Cordelia at the lift and practically dragged her over. Zero could hear their back-and-forth.

"Stop bein so scared and say 'Hi', Coco, he don't bite."

"Roto, stop pulling me! I'll get there, he's not going back into stasis in the next 5 seconds is he?"

Zero noticed Samuel's small, but sad, smile as Cordelia and Roto went back and forth with each other. He wanted to ask the doctor about his reaction, but decided to wait as he extended his hand to Cordelia. She took it with a firm shake that surprised Zero a bit with its strength.

"It's an honor to meet you, Zero." Cordelia said. "If I may ask, where's Iris? I'd heard she was with you, and I would love to pick her brain a little on some history."

Zero told her she could find Iris in the Command Ops room and Cordelia nodded a thanks as she went off. Roto and Samuel had taken the hoversled to the service elevator and were loading it in. Zero was curious as to what the covered item was on the sled, but as with the other questions he had for the doctor, he decided to wait for a better time to ask. Roto waved him over and Zero, unable to keep a smile from his face whenever confronted by Roto's upbeat nature, joined the pair and headed towards the workshop.

A/N: Sorry about the wait on what's essentially a short chapter of introduction and exposition. As I work outdoors and the weather in NY has sucked, I haven't been able to get anything done for a couple days. I'll be working on the next chapter immediately, so hopefully I will get it up early tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me.


	10. Chapter 9- Mirage

**Me: Welcome back. I've started this chapter before checking on the progress of the chapter before, so if I forget to thank anyone, my bad, and thanks.**

 **Null: Sypher, what are you doing?**

 **Me: Huh? Whaddaya mean?**

 **Null: 'What do I mean' you ignorant cur.**

 **Me: Damn... Are you pissed about something?**

 **Null: OF COURSE I'M PISSED, YOU STUPID HUMAN! To what purpose do you keep trying to kill my people!?**

 **Me: Ummmm, you're the 'bad guys'. And, lay the hell off me. Brav's not dead!**

 **Null: By the thinnest of margins.**

 **Lacadian: Although I don't condone violence, Sypher should've let Zero finish him off.**

 **Null: No one asked you, prisoner. Keep your misguided opinions to yourself.**

 **Lacadian: Not a prisoner in this place, so you have no say.**

 **Me: Ladies, please. Stow it till later. Disclaimer, please**?

 **Lacadian: SypherZero in no way claims ownership of MegaManX or any other intellectual property belonging to Capcom. Myself and other Original Characters, as well as this story, are all that he owns. How was that?**

 **Me: Excellent!/Null: ...kiss ass...**

Chapter 9- Mirage

 **"I WANT ANSWERS, NOT EXCUSES! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?! WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?!"**

Null had been in a state of fury since Kay had returned with Brav's broken body. Although he would survive his injuries he wouldn't be able to rejoin active duty for a while, and for Null this was unacceptable. Further deepening her anger was the complete lack of information regarding his assailant. And now she stood in the ruins of her study, glaring at Kay as though she would launch forward and tear him apart bolt by bolt until his pieces told her what she wanted to hear. Unfortunately for her, they would know nothing more than what he'd already reported.

"Ma'am, we have Scouts gathering intel now. We'll know more by days end." Kay stated.

"'Days end'? Does it look, to you General, like days end is sufficient? I don't care about your Scouts and their mission. Whoever this is, is making a mockery of the Armada. A mockery of **ME!** I want answers **NOW**! Even if that means going there myself to get them!"

"Then, perhaps, a speculation on my part?" Kay ventured, hoping Null wouldn't provide him with a lance through his heart. And much to his surprise, she seemed to calm down and nodded for him to continue.

"The Imperium discovered the old Maverick Hunter base in the ruins, this much we know from Vale's report. Considering the state it was in when she and her team arrived, it couldn't have been found too long ago. Else it would've been in a greater state of repair. Because that base could contain a vast wealth of secrets, they assigned one of their top-ranking Shadow Operatives to protect the facility. This would account for the 'Unknown Force' that opposed both Brav and Vale.

It's obvious that the Operative is a highly trained swordsman, as Brav is the greatest blade in the Armada and **HE** wasn't an even match for them. Whoever this is is more than capable of handling a wide variety of situations, including but not limited to: Solo engagements, small unit groups, hand-to-hand combat, gunnery defense and prolonged assault.

Most likely an Assassination or Infiltrator unit with extreme strength modifications, as a large portion of Brav's damages were to his internal superstructure. Aside from some armor damage and the shoulder injury, all of his repairs are needed internally."

As Kay was finishing his supposition, Null had taken the time to compose herself and was mulling over the information. It made sense when she thought about it. A solo operator equipped with stealth tech and an advanced combat program would be more than capable of taking on, and defeating, Vale as well as leaving Brav in his current state. It would also explain why there was no tracking data for said operative. Another point that supported this theory was the missing member of Vale's squad. Two had been rendered ' ** _Inoperable_** ', but shortly after their life signs flatlined due to ' ** _Extreme Cerebral Collapse',_** in laymen's terms went brain dead, which shut down their vital systems. This notion brought a series of dark thoughts to Null.

"This 'Operative' has a prisoner, General. That would explain why they were able to handle Brav so easily. They knew what to expect when facing him. This could also mean that they also know about our bases defenses. This will **NOT** due, General. The prisoner must be recovered, or destroyed. If he's betrayed our secrets, I'd prefer the latter."

Kay nodded, "I'll assemble my men immediately."

Null shook her head, "No units, General. We've wasted enough resources on this operative already. You, alone, are to undertake this. Recall the Scouts and take up their assignment. Gather information on this situation and make the prudent decision on how to extract. Should you require assistance, Andromeda is patrolling the area several miles west of those ruins. Contact her. She may even be able to perform the extraction/assassination without alerting anyone."

Kay, again, nodded and with a salute he departed. Null trusted that the general would preform his duties, but she needed to know now what was guarding those ruins. ' _What has the power to dispatch my Elites with such ease?'_ she thought darkly. Leaving her study and heading to the elevator, Null rode to the 15th floor which housed the medical facilities.

The entire floor, from walls to ceiling, were an antiseptic white that was almost blinding when coupled with the fluorescent lighting. Null remembered why she never came up here, _'One must seek treatment just stepping off the elevator.._.'. As she approached a desk in the middle of the floor, an all white Reploid wearing a grey lab coat rose from his chair with a salute. Null waved him back into his seat quickly and spoke quietly to him.

"Where's Brav, Medic?"

The medic looked surprised that Null was asking about someone whom she openly disliked. He recovered quickly and gave her directions: end of the hall, to the left, second door on the left.

"He's not lucid, ma'am." the medic said as Null walked away.

"Good. I don't need him to be. Just awake enough to see me."

Null made her way to Brav's repair suite, pausing at window outside to look at the battered solider. Unarmored and connected to numerous wires that monitored his vital functions, brain waves and self-repair status, Brav looked small and pitiful as he lay unmoving. Null shook her head at the sight, wondering if her plan would work now that she saw his condition. ' _As X has taught me, there can be no success without attempt_.', she thought and flipped a panel in her arm open to reveal a small screen. Tapping the screen several times and swiping twice, she closed the panel, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A shimmer, resembling heat distortion on a summer day, surrounded her for several seconds before issuing a bright flash and Null transformed into the image of Vale.

It had been some time since Null had used her Chameleon Cloak, but as she looked at her faint reflection in window she smiled with Vale's sweet and seductive face. Null didn't care if her method was cruel, or painful, to Brav, drastic measures were necessary when the security of the Armada was at stake. And, when she thought about it, the only one she could **TRULY** trust to complete this task was herself.

Opening the door, Null stepped in and moved to the head of the bed. Brav's eyes were closed as he was in a mild shut-down, the Reploid equivalent of medically induced sleep. Reaching out, she gently touched his face, a sickening feeling coming over her at the tenderness she was displaying toward someone she couldn't stand. She shoved it away and assumed her role in full.

"Brav..." She spoke in Vale's voice, which was a surprise to Null. She'd forgotten the skill was capable of that. "Brav, my brave warrior, it me."

Brav groaned softly under Null's touch and the soft voice speaking to him and his eyes began to flutter open. They only made it half way, but he turned his head towards the voice and the smallest of smiles crept onto his sedated face. He tried to move his hand to touch the hand Null had rested on his face, but he was still too out of it or too weak to do so. Null took his hand in both of her and smiled down at him.

"My brave fool... What have they done to you?" Null spoke with forced concern, playing her part of ethereal lover. Brav shook his head as best he could before answering in a croak.

"Not 'They', babe... ' ** _HIM_** '... The Demon. Not Human. Not Reploid. A monster... Speed...Power...Combat...Fury... I... I never expected... I couldn't avenge you..."

Brav's head turned away from NullVale. Even in his weakened state she could sense his disappointment, and shame, in his failure. She shushed him and turned his face back to her, eyes soft and pleading.

"I know, love, I know. It's ok. Tell me about him. I remember the fury, but I cannot be at peace until I know who he was."

"His blade... Emerald lighting... Like his eyes... His fists were...were like boulders when they struck... So much power in such a small frame... He was everywhere...but nowhere my blade was... And... The armor... That armor...will haunt me... Bloody red... Tinted by countless victims, no doubt... I'll never forget him... The Crimson Demon..."

Null almost fell backward as Brav finished. ' _Could it be...?'_ she thought but knew in her heart it could be no one else. Her 'adrenaline' rushed with this revelation. It was **HIM.** The one she sought for **SO** long. Brav's injuries and Vale's death now made perfect sense to her _. 'Of course they would fail agains_ _ **t HIM...'**_ Leaning down, Null kissed Brav softly and smiled at him. He looked into her eyes with a sense of knowing this would be the last he saw of her and a tear rolled down his cheek before he spoke.

"I'm... I'm sorry I failed you... I wish I could join you."

"No, love. You must continue on. I was too weak to defeat this demon, but you survived. Recover and return to the hunt. Now is not your time. I'll be watching over you, and waiting for the day when we can be together again. Goodbye, Brav."

Null slowly slipped away from Brav who almost immediately fell back into his sleep, but she saw him shed several more tears before he did. Exiting the room, Null deactivated the Chameleon Cloak and reassumed her natural form, a deep elation flooding through her. HE was alive! And so close she could almost feel him before her. A new course of action was forming in her mind and Null rushed back to the elevator to get to her study. She had plans to make and communications to send. 'After so many years, you've finally returned... And soon, Zero, you'll be mine'

A/N: After a long wait for the pervious chapter, I wanted to give you guys something short and quick to make up for it. As her creator, I think Null's pretty fucked up in the head, but that's why I personally enjoy her character. Any other opinions? Please R&R. All feedback welcome. Until the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 10- General Chaos

**Me: (reading through papers) Damn... Null's pretty crazy... Maybe I should've toned it down some...**

 **Lacadian: Are those her notes from X's Memoirs?**

 **Me: Yup. Did you read them?**

 **Lacadian: Yes, I did. And I must say, Sypher, that you've created quite the monster in her.**

 **Me: I know, I know. I wanted a BAAAD bad guy... I just didn't expect it to be THIS bad.**

 **Null: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?! GIVE ME THOSE, NOW!**

 **Me: (tosses notes to Null and backs away) Just calm down...**

 **Null: You... Just because you are the Author, doesn't mean you can do as you please with my things! It's bad enough Lacadian has my book, now YOU'RE rifling through my belongs.**

 **Brav: I bet they're love letters. Am I right?**

 **Null: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Aren't you supposed to be incapacitated?**

 **Brav: 4th wall, baby! I'm fine here.**

 **Me: Enough! Before this gets outta hand, disclaimer please.**

 **Brav: Sypher owns none of Capcom's shit. His story and OC's, including my awesomeness, is all his though. Lacadian, the notes are love notes right? Sypher, my man, I'm right aren't I?**

 **Me: (sigh)...i'm gonna die before this story's finished..**.

Chapter 10- General Chaos

Kay returned to the ruins site and positioned himself where Brav had left his hoverbike. The area offered little cover, and Kay's massive size further hindered his ability to stay hidden. But he hadn't been sighted, as far as his scanners had shown, so he settled in and waited.

For three hours he watched his radar, IR, thermo and comm-wave scanners. Nothing. Not even a dust rat had crossed his path. Boredom had set in around hour two, but he remained vigilant at his post keeping his keen eye on his scanners as well as randomly checking the area visually. He'd even linked into Brav's bikes' scanning systems to boost his overall range. Nothing. So he finally decided to just sit and rest.

The day was slowly dwindling into evening and the heat was dying down. He found it easier to concentrate without the light of the sun and the oppressive heat from the rocks that baked under it, _'Not to mention it almost nullifies my thermo scans.'_ Reaching into a side compartment on his leg, Kay removed a deck of old playing cards and began a game of Solitaire.

Most Reploids who saw the playing cards were shocked, as they weren't used by many anymore since the invention of H-Cards. But Kay preferred the old fashioned laminated deck, they had a historic feel and he thought it was a more refined style of play _. 'It keeps me just that much more above the rank-and-file.'_ he thought as he finished setting the cards out and started his game. He'd gotten several moves in before his radar began chiming. Quickly gathering the cards and replacing them, Kay flipped his HUD into active scan and searched the area. Although his radar was continuing its alert, Kay couldn't locate the source and readied his weapons for a surprise attack. He was soon startled by a sinister whisper he recognized instantly.

"Taking your duties lightly, General?" said the whisper.

"Uncloak yourself, Andromeda. I won't talk with shadows." Kay replied, his tone befitting his rank.

A yellow glow materialized near Kay revealing the masked assassin Reploid. Her cold blue eyes showed she was smiling beneath her mask. Her floor length cloak hid any and all other features from view, even as she walked toward the general.

"What are you doing here, assassin? More importantly, how did you know I was here?"

Andromeda chuckled, an almost snake like rasp which always unsettled Kay when he was privy to hear it.

"I know a great many things, General. Where I may find comrades of the Armada is one such thing. I also know of Vale's demise and Brav's unfortunate condition. What I do not know is the same as yourself and the Commander: Who is responsible. That is **WHY** I'm here."

"And what of your own duties? You've just abandoned your posting to investigate this situation?" Kay snapped, his ire rising. Andromeda again chuckled.

"Of course not, General. My post is covered by Lott, Mears and, of course, my Shadow. Fear not, all is well where I should be as I **AM** there." Andromeda's whisper-voice cooed.

"If you intend to harass me, the least you can do is make yourself useful. I obviously can't infiltrate those ruins without being sighted. So, now you are my subordinate for the duration of your stay within my presence."

Andromeda tilted her head slightly, a challenging look in her eyes, but she deferred to the general with a nod and shimmered out of existence once more. Kay swore silently and adjusted his sensors to detect the subtle energy shifts Andromeda created when cloaked. He never cared for Infiltrator/Assassin units. They were, in his opinion, lesser warriors who relied on trickery, as opposed to skill, to complete missions. _'What solider needs to sneak around and kill from the darkness? A weak one._..' Finishing his adjustments, Kay tracked Andromeda's progress in his HUD until she disappeared into the excavation site. Adding a life-sign reader to the other scans currently displayed on his HUD and settled back down with his playing cards to continue his game. She would be gone for a while, and there was no need to just wait, _'Might as well pass the time.'_ he thought as he re-dealt the cards.

Andromeda moved swiftly into the cave, soundlessly making her way through the maze-like tunnels. She easily found the entrance to the base's ruins and ran a scan for security systems. Finding none, Andromeda dropped into the base using her Hover mod to slow herself before landing. After another scan revealed several life signs, as well as a fair amount of power inside the thousand year old ruins, she grew curious and decided to explore before searching out the imprisoned Armada fighter.

She made her way to the elevator she'd spotted and descended to a busy, and loud, floor that looked to be a workshop. Slipping out of the service elevator and quickly past the human scientist and his two Reploids, as her scan had revealed to her, Andromeda made her way to the local elevator at the end of the corridor. She paused there and turned her head back towards the workshop. The blonde Reploid was now standing in the corridor, apparently looking for something. ' _Or some_ _ **ONE**_ _.'_ she thought with a smile. ' _He's good. Very attuned to his surroundings. I'll not be slipping by him again_.' She waited a handful of moments before the Reploid went back into the shop and she called the elevator and went down to the last available level.

The small display in the elevator read: B3-Containment. Andromeda stepped out-and her Cloak immediately failed. She hissed through clenched teeth as her Eye-HUD produced line upon line of information regarding the defense systems on the floor. Aside from auto-guns, advanced thermo and IR scanners and audio detection/disruption there was also old Anti-Stealth tech that her Cloak wasn't designed to negate. Even in her irritation, Andromeda couldn't help but be impressed with the Maverick Hunters available security technology for their time _. 'I must tread carefully now... They would've been superb foes had they survived, and I'd rather not be caught unawares again.'_

Activating her 'Run-Cold' protocol, a system created for Infiltrator units that lowered their operating temperatures to match their surroundings and ablated the ability of IR scans to detect the unit, she hovered above the floor on her repulsers to avoid further tripping the defenses. It was a slow process to reach the first of the three doors on the floor, taking almost 4 mins to cross the 150 foot stretch from the elevator, and easily accessed the room. Her scan of the room revealed no special defenses in place aside from a broken scanner pod above the door. Setting down from Hover and waiting for the door to close behind her, Andromeda found herself in a Detention Block. Rows of Incap Cells lined the room, with an old Mag-Shock cell in the rear, and a single cell in use. She smiled, her objective was located.

She made her way over to the containment unit and lowered the power just enough to give its occupant some lucidity. The one armed solider's eyes blinked several times before he finally looked up, and his shocked expression gave Andromeda a small chuckle.

"You are the missing fighter from Vale's unit, are you not?" Andromeda's whisper-like voice asked.

"Yeah... And you're Captain Andromeda Darkhood. You here to get me out?"

"That all depends on what you tell me in the next few moments. Our Commander feels you may have exposed Armada secrets to our enemy. As you know, that would be unacceptable."

The fighter had a slightly nervous look as Andromeda spoke, but indignantly stuck out his chest in a display of bravado.

"I'd never betray the Armada! Truth-Scan me, and you'll see."

"I don't have to scan you. Your cell will do it for me." she responded as she punched several keys and turned a dial located on the top of the cell. "These containment cells were also designed as Interrogation platforms. I'll ask you questions and it will scan your memory banks. If you're truthful, I'll see no abnormal readings. If you're lying..." she left the sentence unfinished to emphasize her point. "Let's start simple, shall we? Name?"

"Xan Lemas." Nothing.

"Rank?"

"Corporal, 3rd Class." Nothing.

"Unit designation?"

"Wildfire Unit, 227-53." Again, nothing. _'Time to get serous_.' Andromeda thought.

"Were you present for the death of Lt. Vale?"

"Yes I was. As you can see, I was injured by the same Reploid."

"And was this Reploid also the one who captured you?"

"Yes." The fighter was beginning to show his irritation. Andromeda pushed on, ignoring it.

"Were you interrogated by said Reploid?"

"Yes I was! And I said nothing to compromise the Armada!" he finally snapped. No sooner than his outburst did the scan flash green then red then back to green and finally red once more staying steady. Andromeda smiled wickedly under her mask and glared with icy eyes at the prisoner.

"It would seem, Corporal, that you've lied to me. What did you tell them? Lie again, and I promise that your missing arm will have been the least amount of pain you've had to deal with."

Xan knew of Andromeda's penchant for slowly, and joyously, extracting the life from her victims. Swallowing hard and lowering his head, he told her everything he's told his captors.

"I told them about the Commander and General Kay. About Brav. About the recent increase in patrols in this area. Sizes of the patrolling units and equipment they should expect should they encounter them." Xan smiled at Andromeda, a sad yet sinister smile. "I even told them what to expect if they ran into you, Captain Darkhood. So, if you're planning on killing me, just know that they're expecting an S-Elite Assassin class Reploid to do it. I knew I was dead when I got captured. Figured I'd do something useful about it."

Andromeda threw her cloak back to reveal yellow glowing fists and, with a single mighty punch, shattered the containment cell. Reaching in, she took hold of Xan's throat and lifted him from his feet, her frozen stare piercing deep into his core. Before another thought could pass in his mind, Andromeda produced a dagger that enveloped itself in the same yellow glow as her fists and she drove deep into his chest several times. She continued to stab until the light of life left his eyes and she tossed the body to the side like trash. "Mission Accomplished." she said as she turned to leave the chamber, noticing only then that an alarm had been triggered when she'd broken open the cell.

"This could be troublesome..." She said to herself as she dashed to the Mag-Shock cell in the rear of the room and climbed in to hide, the lack of viewports making it ideal for the purpose. Switching her Eye-HUD scans into wide spectrum, she waited for whatever guards would come to check the alarm. Several moments passed before three Reploids practically burst through the doors. One she identified quickly as a Special Operations Infiltrator, his armor a shocking green. The next was a stock fighter in Imperium blues and finally came the blonde Reploid she'd seen earlier. This time, however, he was clad in crimson armor of the Dueling class that Andromeda hadn't seen in use except in historic re-creations.

The red armored Reploid ran to the broken body of Xan and confirmed the Armada solider was dead. The Infiltrator paces around the cells by the doorway, touching the side of his helmet, Andromeda assuming he was filtering through scanning programs. A few seconds passed and the green Reploid turned to the red one.

"Hey, Boss. Think I got somethin'."

"What is it, Roto?" The blonde in red armor replied.

"Energy shadow by the cell. There was an Infiltrator down here with Deady McCorpse over there."

"How can you tell? My scans don't detect anything." That was the Imperium unit.

"I'm an Infiltrator, Avery. I've got programmin' suites you weren't designed with. Most Infiltrators are equipped with somethin' called Run-Cold. It deads most sensor pickups against the unit. But, if said unit is in a spot long enough they leave an energy 'shadow'. There's a pretty nice one right by the cell, but nowhere else that I can detect. Mighta already escaped the floor."

Andromeda cursed silently. She hadn't expected another Infiltrator unit to be here, nor for them to be fitted with such a sophisticated sensor suite. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, hoping the Mag cell and that action would dampen the 'shadow' she was generating. The red Reploid spoke next.

"Roto, you and Avery search the upper levels for our 'intruder'. Before you go, though, I want you to upload your sensor suite to my HUD. I'd rather not get pounced on from the shadows."

"No prob, Big Red." Roto replied and linked up with the red Reploid and after a few seconds departed.

Andromeda, for the first time in a long time, felt a creeping fear filling her. Although she'd never encountered this Reploid before, there was a presence about him that exuded Power and, more so, Destruction. _'He is something... Different. I mustn't be caught.._.' Andromeda watched as the Reploid called 'Red' approached the her hiding place and she held her breath. He stopped near the cell, scanning it closely with a small smile.

"I remember tossing Vile in here a few times. Never thought I'd think pleasantly about **HIM."**

He walked away, continuing to scan the room. Seeming to be satisfied with his search, 'Red' exited the room and Andromeda exhaled. Slowly and quietly exiting the cell, she made her way to the door and scanned the hallway, the Hunter had entered the room across hall and she made a break for the elevator. She kept looking back, waiting for the Reploid to exit and see her. The elevator opened and she slipped in just in time to see the Reploid exit the other room, a look of shock crossing his face as she waved to him through closing doors and began to ascend to the floor above.

Having seconds before the Hunter would on her heels, Andromeda activated her Cloak and dashed to the workshop area and slipped past the Human once more and boarded the service elevator, the Human looking up from his work as the elevator seemed to move on it's own. _'Almost there..._ ' she thought as the doors opened, and see saw the exit... And saw Red standing in her way. _'Dammit!_ ' she thought as he produced an Emerald beam saber.

"Peek-a-boo, I **SEE** you!" he said and advanced toward her. Realizing there was no point to hiding any further, Andromeda uncloaked and drew her daggers, which ignited in yellow energy immediately. The fear she'd been feeling had doubled as she stood face to face with the Hunter, but she forced it down and readied herself.

"You're no Imperium warrior, this is clear. What are you? I sense terrible power within you."

"As you should, Maverick. You infiltrated my base, killed my prisoner and attempted to escape. Only two choices for you now: Surrender or be Retired. Your choice."

Andromeda rushes forward and locked blades with the red Reploid. Holding his saber in place with one of her daggers, she quickly unloaded an energy charged punch into the side of his helmet unlocking their weapons and sending him backward. Flipping over him and narrowly avoiding his counter slash, Andromeda scaled the the wall and dashed out into the ruins. She Booster-Dashed as fast as she could out of the ruins and activated her comm.

"General, we have incoming! The traitor has been dispatched but my cover was compromised. Assistance is required!"

Looking back she saw the red armored Reploid in pursuit, followed by Roto and Avery. She was close to Kay's position when she heard the whirring of the General's twin Gatling Guns preparing to fire. Waiting until she was a handful of yards away and leapt to the side as the big general opened fire with high speed death. She saw the red armored Reploid spinning and spiraling his blade into an Emerald wall of light, deflecting the high speed rounds. She had little time to watch the battle as Roto and Avery approached her ready to battle. Standing to facing the pair, Andromeda tilted her head with a smile, hidden by her mask, and teleported away.

Kay continued to fire on the red Reploid, pumping round after round down on his green wall, attempting futilely to break his defense. Kay noticed the two others behind him attempt to square off against Andromeda before she teleported away. ' _Fucking cowardly assassin_!' he thought as he fired a blast from his arm mounted Proton Cannon at the crimson armored foe. It sent him flying back with smoke rising off his armor, but no other damage visible. Opening his chest, Kay launches a small barrage of Micro-Missiles at the three Reploids that stood against him. The green one dashed to the side, grabbing the Imperium solider who stood with him, avoiding the projectiles.

His blonde opposition, however, wasn't as lucky and was struck with several of the explosives sending him tumbling away even further. "ZERO!" The green armored Reploid shouted as he saw his ally stuck. _'Zero? That's the legendary Zero?_ ' Kay thought, unimpressed.

"So, you're Zero? I expected more from the 'Crimson Death'. The Commander wants you alive, but I don't think you're going to make it back to her in one piece." Kay said smugly.

"You're not the toughest Maverick I've come across. The **REAL** General could've smashed you into loose change, and I Retired him!" Zero retorted, pain evident on his face. "Roto, take Avery and get back! I'll take care of this."

Kay laughed as he looked down at Zero, who was standing once more with his Saber held before him in a defensive stance. Raising his Cannon again he fired another round at Zero, who nimbly dodged and dashed at Kay. As he got close enough, Zero unleashed a series of slashes at the larger Reploid who defended against the Saber without so much as a scratch and retaliated with a massive punch that sent Zero rolling away. Laughing, Kay stalked over to Zero his Cannon beginning to charge.

"Foolish little swordsman, I was **DESIGNED** to fend off beam weapons like yours. However, **YOUR** not designed to withstand my offensive."

Kay fired the medium charge blast into Zero sending him careening across the ground, cracks opening in his armor and sparks and smoke issuing from them. Kay aimed his Gatling Guns down once more and opened fire on the prone Zero, pelting him with round after round of hot metal. Laughing, Kay stopped firing and dashed over to Zero and delivered a huge kick to him. The red Reploid howled in pain as his rolled, trying to regain his footing.

"What's wrong, Zero? Running out of fight? Where is the 'Power' you're supposed to have? Where is the 'Fear' you inspire? You're useless! A sham! Nothing more than a relic from a bygone age! Time to retire you, Maverick Hunter Zero. When you see X in Hell, tell him **YOU FAILED**!"

Activating his ram-bolts to mount himself into the ground, Kay began to charge his Proton Cannon and aimed it at Zero intending to incinerate the Red Blade. To Kay's surprise, Zero had returned to feet and was encased in purple and black coursing electrical energy. Suddenly the energy surged and burst outward in a massive shockwave that wobbled Kay even as he was bolted into the stone ground. The shockwave also produced a blinding light that Kay had to shield his eyes from, but as it subsided he was looking at a Zero clad in midnight black armor with burning crimson eyes and none of the damage he'd had a moment ago. Zero spoke, but his voice was deep, evil and sounded like the over-lapping speech of two, for some reason chilling Kay to the core.

"I am the one you were seeking, Kay. Yes, I know who you are General. I know of your pitiful Armada and its maddened Commander. I am The Power, The Fear, The Omega."

Kay's Cannon reached full charge and he fired the massive energy bolt. Containing the power of a dozen atomic blasts and three times the size of it's target, Kay expected Zero to be turned into ashes and almost short circuited when the black armored Reploid walked through the attack as though it was a drop of water. Kay once again opened fire with his Gatling Guns as he began to charge another Cannon shot. None of would matter.

Zero's right hand converted into a Buster, which Kay also hadn't expected, and he unloaded several rounds that crashed into Kay with such force that they peeled away some of his armor plates and melted others. He dashed forward, a ghostly red afterimage following in his wake, and ignited his Beam Saber again the blade having also turned a bloody red an grew to the dimensions of an oversized broadsword. Kay attempted to unbolt himself from his position, but wasn't quick enough as Dark Zero closed the gap between them with incredible speed, leapt towards Kay and swiped one of the Gatling Guns from his shoulder almost taking the entire arm with it.

Kay staggered, finally unbolted, his HUD flashing madly with numerous critical damage alerts. He tried again to attack Zero, only to be rewarded with two more Buster rounds that shattered the joints and servos in one of his legs and left him falling towards his demonic opponent. As if sensing the end was near, Zero smiled like some creature born from Hell's depths and swung his blade once more connecting with Kay already injured Cannon arm and severing the limb completely.

Kay smashed into the ground, eyes wide with shock at the damages he'd sustained in a matter of seconds. The seemingly impervious beast now stalked over to him, bloodthirsty smile burned onto his insane face, and raised his charging Buster at Kay.

"Tell your masters: Omega has returned and I'm coming for them as well."

Before Kay fell victim to another of the vicious blasts, his Emergency Teleport system triggered and he beamed safely away, leaving the incarnate of Destruction far behind.

A/N: I'm sure some of you expected something like this to happen, but I'm hoping not. Omega, in my world, manifests himself in Zero through a monumental shift in power output and actual personality when Zero is no longer able to protect himself as explained, slightly, in a previous chapter. It's a temporary condition, so fear not for the Red Death. Hope everyone enjoyed seeing what Kay was capable of as well as Andromeda. Keep your eyes open for them in later chapters. As usual, R&R. Any and all feedback welcome.


	12. Chapter 11- The Passing Storm

**Omega/Zero: Where am I?**

 **Me: Ummmm... How'd you get here?**

 **Omega/Zero: Who are you, Human? Come to die?**

 **Me: Ummmm, no. This is beyond the 4th Wall. You, kinda, sorta, have no power here... please don't kill me...**

 **Omega/Zero: No power you say, yet you tremble before me. (Draws Beam Sword) Let's see how powerless I am.**

 **Me: (panicked) Kill me now and you'll never get to realize your full potential!**

 **Omega/Zero: Oh really? And how can YOU make that happen?**

 **Me: I'm the Author. I have all sortsa nifty abilities. One of them being to make you infinitely powerful... Powerful enough to rid yourself of Zero.**

 **Omega/Zero: (deadly stare) You lie.**

 **Me: Nope. That's my ability. I write it, it happens. You just gotta not kill me now, and do me a favor.**

 **Omega/Zero: Favor? I don't bargain with Humans. (Raises Beam Sword)**

 **Me: JUST GIVE THE DISCLAIMER! THAT'S ALL! I'LL HANDLE THE REST!**

 **Omega/Zero: Very well, Human. But if you fail to grant me my freedom, you'll not live long enough to regret it. This Human owns nothing belonging to whatever Capcom is. His tale and the individuals called OC's, that I intend to destroy, are all his creations. Now, give me power!**

 **Me: Just keep reading, Omega. You'll get your prize. (Wipes away sweat)...i really am gonna get killed before the end of this..**.

Chapter 11- The Passing Storm

Roto and Avery watched as Omega Zero ripped Kay apart, gawking in fear and awe at the 'God of Destruction'. As the wounded general teleported away, Omega turned his attention towards Roto and Avery, the pair already nervous after watching the display of power. Roto tapped the side of his helmet, activating his comm.

"Ummmm, Iris. He's headed our way now..." Roto said with more than a bit of tension in his voice.

"He's got 70 seconds left until his Fail-Safes kick in. You have to keep him busy until then." Iris responded, not giving Roto much hope for survival.

"That's a **REALLY** long time considering he just shredded Kay in **SECONDS**! HowtheHell are me an' Avery supposeta keep **THAT** busy?"

"Just run. Make him attack you and stay out of the way. As he uses attacks, it'll drain his power faster. Just stay away from the attacks at all costs. They're Ultra Deadly." Iris offered, a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Great... Sounds easy enough... **_NOT_**!" Roto closed the comm channel and looked at Avery. "Ok Av, we're in for some serious shit for the next 65 seconds. Here's the plan: you hang back here and pelt him with Full-Charges an' I'll keep his attention on me as much as possible. He starts comin' for you, run your ass off and I'll distract. Think you can handle that?"

"Yessir!" Avery said with more confidence than Roto actually felt.

Dashing away from Avery, Roto moved diagonally in Omega's direction and Booster-Jumped high into the air. At his apex, Roto pulled several spherical orbs from compartments in his armor and launched them towards Omega. As they landed around the Black Armored Destroyer they exploded into blue pillars of high intensity flame that surrounded him. Landing behind Omega, Roto fired normal shots from his N-Buster into the flames hoping to cause him to turn away from Avery. It worked. Roto watched Omega walk through the fires unscathed and swat away the Buster rounds like tennis balls with his bloody colored beam sword. Roto shook his head as he checked the timer in his HUD-53 seconds left.

Growling, Roto tossed a spread of cryo-grenades at Omega. The Black Armored Reploid waved a hand and scattered the projectiles away from him. ' _Telekinesis?! What the HELL is he?!'_ As Roto was trying to wrap his mind around how powerful Omega was he saw a Charged Shot crash into the Dark Zero's head and barely make him twitch. This turned the attention from Roto to Avery. _'No way, big guy...'_ Roto thought, ' _I'm the one you're lookin' for.'_

Roto dashed toward the Incarnate of Destruction and leapt feet first at him in a drop kick that caught him full in the side. Activating his Boosters on contact, Roto added extra thrust to the attack and managed to send Omega skidding across the floor and directly into another Charged Shot that knocked him into the air. The advantage didn't last as Omega gained control of his fall and somersaulted to land on his feet, a look of Rage crossing his face. Roto checked the timer again- 30 seconds left.

"Dammit man... How the hell can I keep this up?" Roto quickly thought of a plan. "Come on Red! I know you're in there somewhere! You gotta shake this screw loose an' get your ass back here!"

Omega laughed, a vile sounding cackle of ominous intent.

"There is no 'Zero', boy. He's nothing but a false identity. An augment designed to overwrite what he, what **_I, AM_**!"

"Says you. But, who the Hell are **YOU**? How long did you exist, Omega? 50 years? A hundred? Zero's the legend. You're just a Virus. And Zero's kept you locked away from the world on **PURE WILL** for centuries. He's doin' it now. Fightin' you off, pushin' you back into whatever depths you crawled from! You couldn't beat him a thousand years ago, ya can't beat him now!"

Omega roared and swung his blade at Roto unleashing a huge crescent wave of red-black energy at the green armored Reploid. Barely dodging the attack, Roto still found himself caught by tendrils of crimson lightning as the energy wave passed and dropped to one knee. Iris' voice crackled over the comm.

"Roto, respond!"

"I'm good, I. Just a bit shocked." Roto replied checking his HUD for a damage readout, but Iris was ahead of him.

"Your armor integrity is at 46%. Energy level are in the yellow, a little over 50%. You need to stay further away from those energy attacks or you're going to have a systems failure." Iris stated.

Roto was thankful for the Operator monitoring his status, giving him one less worry in this situation. The timer was at 20 seconds and he was running out of ideas when another of Avery's shots smashed into Omega causing the Mega-Maverick to launch a horizontal energy wave at the young fighter. " **AVERY!** " Roto screamed as the Imperium solider dashed toward the wave and baseball slid under it, instantly being enveloped in crimson tendrils, as Roto had been, but managed to clear the projectile and shakily return to his feet. Roto looked to the young Reploid who tossed him a 'thumbs up', "I'm good sir!" He said.

"15 seconds kid! Let's make 'em count!" Roto said. Setting his Buster to Quick-Charge, he dashed around to get behind Omega as Avery created separation for himself and blasted the black armored terror again making him focus on him. As Roto got into position he tossed a magnetic charge onto Omega's back, cycled his Buster to a medium power and unloaded into him. The resulting blast was enough to topple the seemingly invincible Reploid, allowing himself and Avery to once again create a good separation but the attack had left Roto's power levels near critical. ' _Shit... Between busted up armor and low levels, this'll be the longest 10 seconds of my life...'_

Omega roared once more and, gathering energy, slammed his fist into the ground causing geysers of purple-red to erupt upwards and outward from the point of impact. Roto was in full Booster-Dash toward the wide-eyed Avery before hearing Iris' shout of " ** _RUN_**!" over the comm, snagging him by the arm and dragging him towards the cave mouth of the ruins until Avery activated his Boosters as well. Pushing their acceleration capabilities into overdrive, Roto and Avery never looked back at the rising columns of pure devastation as they could feel the and force of the attack biting at their heels.

Glancing to Avery, Roto saw that his leg armor was smoking and his Boosters were beginning to fail dropping him behind and closer to the pillars of death following them. ' _Not today_!' Roto thought as he grabbed hold of Avery's armor and activated his 'Redline' mod, a speciality program designed to shunt any available power into his Booster system, and rocketed forward. With a mighty heave, Roto tossed Avery with all his strength towards the cave seconds before his own Booster flared out with a sickening ' ** _POP-HISS'._** Losing all traction, Roto hit the ground in a hard tumble, rolling end over end for what seemed like an eternity, before landing on his chest and skidding for a dozen yards to a painful stop.

 _'Aw, Hell... Almost made it...'_ Roto thought as he braced himself for the incinerating wave of death chasing him. _'At least it's Omega an' not some Nihilist scumbag slaggin' me... See ya soon, Sis.'_ Roto closed his eyes, waiting for fiery oblivion to consume him. After a few seconds of feeling pain all over from his injuries, Roto reopens his eyes and looks back to witness Omega clutching his head and screaming as if taken by a violent headache and his armor shifting back and forth between crimson and black. Avery limps forward as fast as possible, joining Roto to watch the spectacle.

"What's going on?" Avery asked confused.

"Zero, kid. He's reassertin' control over Omega. I knew he could."

Even from the distance they could hear the shouts of Zero and Omega separately. The dark voice howling to be left alone and its icy cool counterpart telling it off. It was strange to watch someone do battle with them-self so blatantly, but according to history this was part of the painful process Zero had to go through. Roto gained more respect and admiration for the Crimson Hunter as he watched his struggle, knowing well that the hardest battles weren't won on the field, but inside oneself.

Several more painful moments passed as Avery and Roto slowly approached Zero/Omega, catching his attention. Zero's voice rang out clear as he saw them.

"Stand back! ...He's... Not gone... Yet...!"

Omega's voice followed.

"Come! Let...me...rend you! Give...me...Power!"

"You're history, lug-nut," Roto scoffed, "Zero's gotcha. Back under your rock ya go."

Omega roared once more, but it was too late. As the Reploids' body finally collapsed his armor flashed once more and remained red. Zero had, again, conquered the Beast and passed into unconsciousness. Walking over to him, Roto and Avery hefted Zero from the ground and started back towards the base as Iris came over the comm channel.

"Great work, guys. Get down to the workshop and get yourselves fixed up. Not many can say they outlasted 'The End', but you two just earned a place in Hunter history, I can tell you that."

Roto smiled through all his pain and looked to Avery, who was also smiling.

"Ya hear that, Av? 'Hunter History'. Gotta say, worth every dent!"

"Yes sir!" The cheery young Reploid replied, more excited to have survived that anything else. And Roto couldn't blame him.

A/N: Nice and short, but necessary to portray the struggle that Zero faces when confronted with Omega. No pain like internal/mental pain. Betcha all thought Roto was gonna bite it hard towards the end, right? Please, R&R. As per the norm: good, bad or otherwise. I can only improve with your help. Next chapter coming soon.


	13. Chapter 12- Grasping at Light

**Disclaimer: MMX and all other related intellectual properties belong to Capcom, and I express no ownership of them. OC's and storyline are my only proprietary claims**.

Chapter 12- Grasping at Light

Zero's head buzzed as his eyes slowly opened, the dim lights seeming to blare like small suns in the darkened room. Tentatively he turned his head to the left and, seeing that he was hooked up to numerous monitoring devices, concluded that he was in the workshop. He turned to his right and noticed Roto sitting up on a cot not too far from him, Cordelia and Samuel affecting repairs on him and Avery. With a groan Zero pulled himself into a sitting position, yanking several of the monitor wires free and causing the machines to screech with system failure warnings that turned the heads of everyone else in the room.

"Hey! Look who's finally awake. Good nap, sleepyhead?" Roto asked with a big grin.

 _'For someone who's just come face to face with Murder Incarnate'_ , Zero thought, _'He seems pretty well for wear.'_ The same could not be said of the young Imperium solider. Zero reached over and flipped the monitors off, the screech ending but leaving an echo pulsing in his already throbbing head. He swung his feet over the side of his cot and lowered himself to the floor, having to stabilize on the cots' edge as his knees were still wobbly. Zero slowly made his way over to Roto and extended his hand to the green haired Reploid, who promptly shook it with a confused look on his face.

"Uhh, thanks Red. But, what's it for?"

"Thank YOU, Roto. If you and Avery hadn't stalled me, I don't know what kind of damage I would've caused."

Roto scratched the back of his neck, his goofy grin plastered on his face and his cheeks slightly red.

"Heh heh, no probs Zero. I know you'd pull my ass outta the fire if I needed it. OW! Chill Cor, that hurts!"

"Stop fidgeting, lug-nut, and it wouldn't hurt so much." Cordelia chided and soldered the last of the wires in Roto's shoulder into place. "There you big baby. Good as new. Luckily you're a lot sturdier that you look. Just keep it light for a couple days and you'll be doing stupid stuff in no time."

Zero couldn't help but smile at them. They really did act like siblings. Looking over to Avery, Zero noticed the boy staring at the floor, seemingly lost in thoughts somewhere far away. Approaching him slowly, Zero laid a hand on his shoulder causing him to almost jump out of his seat.

"Easy, soldier. I'm wanted to apologize for what happened out there before."

"It's okay, sir. I understand the circumstances behind it... It's just..." Avery stopped. He seemed to not know what to say next without offending the Crimson Hunter. Zero made it easy.

"Speak your mind, Avery. It's obvious you've got something in there that needs out."

Avery wrung his hands and took a deep breath.

"I've never been so scared, sir. Watching my squad get shredded by Brav was bad, and I ran as hard as I could to **NOT** die. But, facing you... I mean Omega, knowing that there was no way to defeat him... I realized how unfit to be a soldier I was. I run and hide to survive, because I'm too scared to stand and face the fear. If it wasn't for Roto, I'd be slag right now. I'm useless, sir."

Zero grabbed the young man by the shoulders and forced him to look up at him. There was a fire in Zero's eyes, but it quickly softened when he saw the fear in Avery's.

"Useless? You really don't know what it took to step out there today, do you? Omega was designed to lay waste to **ARMIES**. He's a Destroyer. And **YOU** bravely faced off against it, knowing the odds couldn't be less in your favor. Yes, Roto saved your life in the final seconds of a confrontation that wouldn't have lasted that long if **YOU** hadn't been assisting him. You're far from useless. In more ways than one, you were the bravest one out there today, because you knew that Death could've come for you and you faced it head on. Without Fear and without regret. And I thank you for it. None of us would be standing here right now if not for you."

Avery stammered, trying to form words, trying to say anything, but nothing came except tears and a hasty salute. Zero returned his salute and patted him on the shoulder before turning back towards the others. Roto's grin never left his face and Cordelia switched places with Zero as he walked toward the green haired Reploid and his Human companion. Samuel gave Zero a slight nod of approval.

"Well said Zero. No wonder you were such a successful commander." The Doctor said.

Just then, the service elevator opened up and Iris came running over to Zero and wrapped him in a hug that threatened to break him in half. She looked at him with the soft eyes that always seemed to calm his soul when he needed it most. Leaning up on her toes, she kissed him.

"Welcome back." Iris said.

"Sorry to worry you." Zero replied with a small smile for her before becoming serious once more. "What's the current situation with our message to the Imperium?"

"Complied and sent about 3 hours ago. Awaiting a response." Samuel responded, his tone hinting at irritation that Zero noticed immediately.

"What's the problem, Doctor?" The Hunter asked.

"Although I'd suspected it, after salvaging what we could from the remains, I confirmed that Colonel Gainis sent the squad to keep an eye on me. Granted, I wasn't completely truthful with my report, I'm still a little annoyed that Command felt a need to spy on us."

Zero placed a hand to his chin in thought. He'd hoped to keep his and Iris' revival a secret in order to mount offensives against the Nihilists without risk of Imperium casualties. With the destruction of the soldiers, however, it seemed that wouldn't be possible.

"Doctor, it seems we won't have the element of surprise, as I'd hoped for, dealing with the Armada. They must know I'm here after what's happened. We won't be able to keep hiding the fact long. So this is the plan: the next message you send out will be an S.O.S for backup. You'll have to salvage the optical feeds from the remains and attach it to the message." Zero then looked over to Avery. "Gonna need you to send a message shortly after stating you made your way into the ruins to protect the Doctor and his companions. Upon reaching the lower levels, you discovered that the base was inhabited. Following the orders given to you by a certain red armored Reploid, you held your position and protected the doctor while I handled the Maverick. We'll deal with anything else the Imperium has to say after they respond."

There was an odd silence that followed Zero's explanation, everyone seeming to contemplate the situation. The plan, although sound in theory, had enough holes that it would sink in a puddle. That wasn't the point, however. It was meant to act as a screen so the doctor could continue his research away from the S&R Corps, which Zero had already determined was his goal. He'd ask him why soon, but now wasn't the time. Samuel was the first to speak on the matter at hand.

"Once the Imperium starts sending people here, they **WILL** try to pull you into the fold in their side."

Zero shook his head.

"Not happening. If they are who they claim to be, and I'm not saying they're not, they won't have a lot of choices when dealing with me."

"What do you mean?" Asked Cordelia.

"If they are truly based off the Maverick Hunters, then in all reality, I'm the most senior officer. Your Military Command would have to defer to my orders. I'll contact them after Avery sends his message telling them that their assistance isn't required any longer."

Samuel's jaw dropped open and he stuttered as he attempted to speak. Roto hopped up, seeing his friend stuck, and spoke.

"If you do that, they might pull us outta here. Command ain't real big on takin' orders from outside."

"Hmmm..." Zero thought aloud. "Then, a joint venture between the Imperium and the Maverick Hunters. I'll allow them to send in people to help get the base up and running again, but once here they will HAVE to follow my orders. Communications will be strictly monitored, nothing goes out without my 'OK'."

"You're gonna stir up shit with Command, Z. I **LIKE** it!" Roto exclaimed.

"Zero." Samuel started. "Command won't take this as easily as you think. Finding this base, and everything in it, has been a goal since it disappeared. They could see your actions as _'Maverick'_ at worst. At best, they could deem them to be of a ' _Warlord_ ' like bearing and send in troop to subdue you. That would be a terrible waste of life, and I don't think **ANY** of us wants that."

"Listen Doctor, I understand your concerns. But this isn't an Imperium stronghold. This is Maverick Hunter H.Q. and I'm the last surviving Hunter Commander. They hold no sway over my decisions, as I'm **NOT** an Imperium solider. And after seeing that I'm the one running the base, not to play on my ' _Legendary'_ status, but do you really believe they'd start trouble with me?"

"No, I suppose not. But they will attempt to turn it into a military run operation and pull myself, Roto and Cordelia out."

"Negative. The **ONLY** way I'll consider working with them is if the ones who found me stay." Zero smiled, "Worse comes to worse, I just take you three 'prisoner'."

" ** _ZERO_**!" Iris said, aghast, slapping him in the arm.

"Ow..." Zero replied with a chuckle that seemed to lighten the mood. "I have no desire to make a tense situation worse, but in order for me to be able to help here, I need operational freedom that the Imperium won't allow. If they can't deal with that, then I don't need their permission or assistance. I'd hate to have the only ones I trust so far away from where they can do the greatest good, but I'm sure you would rather not be tossed in a brig somewhere for disobeying orders."

Roto walked over to Zero and extended a hand.

"I'll resign my commission with the Imperium to help ya out, Zero. They've been failin' for years and I'd rather do some good for a change."

Zero shook his hand and looked around to see slightly shocked expressions from Samuel and Cordelia at Roto's exclamation. Avery, who'd been quiet the whole time spoke next, to everyone's surprise.

"Me too, sir. I have nothing back at Command. My unit was all I knew since activation, and they're all gone now. If there can't be a joint venture between us, I request permission to stay on board here."

"You're more than welcome here, Avery. Could always use someone who's willing to put the needs of the world ahead of them-self."

Zero was aware of what he was asking them to do: leave their homes and lives behind to join him in his mission to rid the world of Mavericks once more. He didn't expect them to take it lightly, or to answer right away. It was a decision one **SHOULDN'T** take lightly. Moreover, he feared that they would be labeled traitors by the Imperium and hunted. This would only cause more strife, as Zero and his allies would have to battle both the Armada **AND** Imperium Command. He could sense their apprehension, understand their trepidation, but he could also feel their resolve to see a better world. _'I wonder what X would think if h_ e _could see me now._..' A barely audible **_BEEP_** issued from somewhere in the room that caught everyone's attention and turned it away from the decisions at hand.

Samuel walked over to one of the workbenches and picked up his tablet, the source of the sound, and quickly scanned it.

"Looks like Command was satisfied with the report." he said as he continued reading. "Orders are to continue on as briefing specifications demanded and report again in 9 hours. It'll be dark by then. Perhaps sending out the 'attack report' should wait till morning, so visual data corresponds. A second falsified report to Command shouldn't make too much of a difference, as we're already knee deep in this."

Zero nodded in agreement and, with Iris in tow, headed towards the door. Samuel intercepted them before they reached it, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Iris, but could I borrow him for just a little longer? I have a couple of things I need to discuss."

Iris looked between Zero and Samuel and smiled.

"Of course, Doctor. Just don't keep him too long." she giggled before leaning up and whispering to Zero. "Our room was intact... When you're done, come up and get some _'rest_ '."

Zero's cheeks burned bright red at Iris' thinly veiled suggestion and she giggled even harder as she left the workshop. All eyes turned to the blushing Hunter, who quickly cleared his throat and looked to Samuel, regaining his composure.

"What can I help you with, Doctor?"

"I'm sure you recall the large piece of equipment I arrived with, correct?"

Zero nodded.

"Well, it's for you."

"For me? In what regard?" Zero asked slightly confused.

"It's an Upgrade Capsule, like the ones X used. It's just... Meant for you instead."

Zero crossed his arms and gave Samuel an uncertain stare.

"Doctor, as I'm sure you know, Wily never created capsules for me. _'How do you improve Perfection?' I_ believe he said."

"He didn't build it. I did. As part of my earliest research. Never had a way to test its viability, however, because, well, it was meant for **YOU**. And there was no 'You' to try it out on."

"So it's an unproven theory that you want to expand upon? What does this 'Upgrade' do, exactly?" Zero asked, the uncertain look in his expression deepening.

"Between myself, Cordelia and you, along with the schematics and blueprints in the lower level, I'm certain we can get it fully functional." Samuel said, avoiding Zero's actual question. The Crimson Reploid noticed the evasion.

"You didn't answer my question, Doctor. What does this Capsule supposedly do?"

"Gives you full control over the 'Omega Protocol' you've designed for yourself. In essence, it deletes Omega's personality and code but leaves you with all his abilities."

"And what are the consequences if this 'Upgrade' doesn't work?" Zero's eyes had grown a bit harder than when the conversation had started, and Samuel had a hard time meeting them.

"In theory... The roles you two play become reversed. Omega will become the dominant personality. But, that's a slim-to-none chance. Absolute worst case. Most likely, nothing at all happens and I can stop worrying about if the research was worth anything."

"Doctor, you're talking about the possibility of unleashing Omega on this world indefinitely. I assumed you were a little reckless, but I didn't think you were crazy." Zero's tone was icy and Samuel found himself a step further back than a moment before. "I'll aid your research, but let's be clear: I'm not stepping inside that thing unless it's 100% assured that we aren't going to loose Omega. Nothing else is acceptable."

Samuel was shocked that after Zero had been so frosty with him he still agreed to help out. A sly grin crossed onto the Maverick Hunters' face, however, that made him slightly nervous.

"Now, you've got some questions to answer, Doctor. First being, what's the deal with Roto and Cordelia? I noticed your expressions during their interactions. They act like siblings, but they aren't according to them. You know something different, I'm positive of that."

Samuel sighed. Wether from relief or exasperation, Zero couldn't tell.

"Roto doesn't talk much about it, and I shouldn't be the one to say anything, but he had a sister. She was a specialized Infantry unit, Heavy-Arms class called a Tank-Buster. Obviously a frontline soldier by design, she was always called in to drop heavy artillery, A.P.C's(Armored Personnel Carriers), even planes.

The last day of The Five, she'd been stationed in Colorado to protect a critical Imperium outpost when the first Void bomb was dropped. Almost everyone near the epicenter of the blast was wiped out, including her. Roto was halfway across the world on an infiltration mission with his unit, Deep-Six, when he got the news. He blew cover and got most of them of them killed.

He was court-marshaled and discharged under less than honorable conditions as he cited during his trial that if Command couldn't do the job he would. I met him not too long after that and offered him a job as my assistant telling him that I was as far away from warfare as I could be. We met Cordelia a few years after that and she's been with us ever since. She was a survivor from that last day, and her and Roto just clicked.

That's what the sad smile is all about, Zero. Although he seems happy, happier when she's around, it pains me to know that, somewhere deep down, it must be agonizing for him."

Although Zero could sense that things were being left unsaid, he left the questioning alone. His thoughts drifted to how Roto could put up a cheerful facade when such a heavy burden rested in his heart, and wondered if the same happened to him if he'd be able to cope. Shaking away the notions of losing his most loved one, Zero extended a hand to Samuel who promptly shook it.

"Get to work on that Capsule, Doctor. You have access to the area where Iris and I were. Use what you can to make adjustments and modifications. I'll join you later, as I have some other business to attend to." Zero said with a small smile.

Samuel barked out a laugh and nodded to the blonde Reploid.

"Best not keep the missus waiting. And, thank you again. Hopefully, this will bring your abilities to another level and finally rid you of that psychopath for good."

"I hope so, Doctor." Zero said as he walked out.

Roto appeared beside Samuel a second later, a quizzical look on his face.

"What was that about, Doc?"

Samuel laid a hand on his friends' shoulder and smiled.

"Just giving our new boss some information he'd inquired about earlier. Grab Cordelia and Avery and let's head down to the OZI chamber. We've got work to do."

A/N: Another relatively short chapter, but more for some backstory on our favorite green armored goofball. R&R please. Lemme know how it's turning out. Until the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 13- Approaching Dusk

**Me: Seems I was wrong about the last chapter. It wound up being a bit longer than expected.**

 **Null: (grabs Sypher by the throat) I...am...NOT...happy...with you!**

 **Me: (choking) I...can...tell...**

 **Null: STOP TRYING TO KILL MY PEOPLE! (throws Sypher into a wall)**

 **Roto: (runs over to Sypher and helps him up) You ok, bro? Hey, Crazy-Face! You need to chill out!**

 **Me: (coughs) I'm good. (coughs)**

 **Roto: Want me to blast her ass outta here?**

 **Me: (rubs neck) Nah. Hit the disclaimer for me though... That really hurt...**

 **Roto: SypherZero owns nothing from MMX or Capcom related stuff. This story, which Capcom should buy an' pay him for, and all its dope-ass OC's belong to him. Ya sure I can't blast her?**

 **Me: Yeah, man. I stir up enough shit with Null, don't get yourself mixed up in her crazy.**

 **Null: I'M NOT CRAZY!**

 **Me &Roto: Sure you're not. **

Chapter 13- Approaching Dusk

Null sat in the complete dark of her bedchamber alone, forehead resting in her hands to quell the throbbing that had began when word of Kay's return had reached her. For the second time this week she'd found herself on the Medical floor checking on another of her people who'd encountered Zero and been badly damaged. Although she had no special feelings for the large general, seeing the mighty warrior in such a state of destruction had triggered something in her that affected her confidence. And for the first time since her activation, Null saw the possibility of losing the war, and it shook her to the core.

The image of Kay was burned into her mind: one arm entirely removed from his body, armor shattered and melted, his artificial skin charred and peeled away to reveal the endoskeleton beneath. Never had she seen such brutality inflicted by a single opponent. ' _Never did I assume Zero capable of such terrible power...'_ Even with that thought, Null found herself more fascinated by the legendary Hunter than frightened.

The darkness she's encased herself in was broken by her terminal activating and initiating a video feed. She rose and moved over to the screen, knowing only one being who could contact her in this manner, and took a seat in front of the terminal.

"It would seem things aren't going well for you, Null." said the deeply augmented and filtered voice of the shadowy figure on the screen.

"No, it's not. The Imperium has found a weapon of great power and destructive force, Creator. In two days it's managed to kill Vale and incapacitate Brav and Kay. The latter being much worse for the encounter."

"You sound defeated, Commander. Will I be required to replace you with a more suitable individual? Someone less prone to a breakdown in times of hardship?" asked the Creator darkly.

Null's cheek twitched slightly in irritation. She pushed it down.

"Considering I don't lose, and wasn't designed to, this situation isn't something I was prepared for. However I do have a plan."

"Oh do you? I was afraid you'd lost the will to complete your task. What is your plan?" the Creator asked with snide inflection.

Null ignored it and elaborated as the Creator listened. After her explanation the Creator nodded, seemingly satisfied with her creations' plan.

"You're reasoning is sounds, which is good. I'd hate to scrap you and start all over. Go and implement your machinations. Do not fail me, Null. Although you are one of my prized creations, you are **NOT** irreplaceable."

With that the screen cut off and drove the room back into darkness. Null could feel the fury boiling inside her, the volcano that was her rage threatening to explode. However she controlled it, quelled it, cooled its fury until her body stopped shaking. ' _So superior... I wonder if that'll be the case when I pull your frail human heart out and show it to you, Creator.'_

Null had told the Creator of 'a weapon' found by the Imperium, and her plan to take control of it. What she didn't say was that weapon was Omega. She suspected her Creator knew of Zero/Omega's return to the world, but she wasn't about to say so if that wasn't the case. Null rose from the seat and made her way to the door, it opening silently at her approach and bringing her face-to-face with Andromeda. Instantly, Null lost the control she's just regained and grabbed the assassin by the throat an slammed her against a near wall, an inferno burning in her crystalline violet eyes.

"You... Cowardly... Wretch... You left Kay to **DIE**! I should 'Retire' you where you stand for you're actions. Who leaves a comrade to die?!"

Andromeda looked down into the burning eyes of her Commander with little Fear, as Fear wasn't part of her emotional range. Her normally whisper-like voice even more hoarse and low due to Null's hand around her throat.

"I...do as...I've...always done. The...mission...MY mission...was complete...and the general...didn't seem...to require my further...assistance."

Null slammed Andromeda into the opposite wall with greater force, her ire bubbling over.

"Your **MISSION** was to assist Kay should he require it. You interpreted that as assassinate the traitor then **SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN!** You conniving sneak..."

Null drove a fist deep into Andromeda's midsection, doubling her over and leaving her prone to the evil right hook that came next. The blow connected with such force it threatened to snap the assassin's neck and tore the mask from her face, ripping a gouge in her cheek and splattering Null, and the floor, with blood. Andromeda hit the floor right after her mask with a yelp of pain, her hand clutching her injured face and a vengeful glare in her icy eyes. Null aimed a knife-edged hand at the downed Reploid, her fingertips beginning to sparkle with a faint violet light a split second before a serrated lance of Hard-Light shot forth into Andromeda's shoulder and pinned her to the wall. She screamed but quickly silenced and Null drank in her pain before speaking.

"You are under **MY** command! Your orders are just that- Orders. They're **NOT** open to your interpretation! I hereby court-marshall you to the rank of Sergeant 2nd Class and strip you of your Unit Command. You'll be placed under Kay's command, when he's recovered enough to resume his duties. Until then, you're confined to the brig for Gross Insubordination. Any actions that you take from this moment on that I deem to be contradictory in **ANY** way will be considered Treason and treated as such. Are we clear, Sergeant?"

Andromeda nodded, in too much pain to do much else. Null doused the Hard-Light and summoned two guards to drag the injured Reploid away. There were too many things falling out of Null's control lately and she was growing tired of it. If they wouldn't Fear her, Pain was the next best option. And with the way she'd been feeling, Null didn't particularly mind doling out some Pain. Her mind was drifting in so many directions that she felt out of place, lost amidst ocean currents with no safe harbor in sight. This moment, the reassertion of her Dominance over the Defiant, was an anchor she desperately needed right now.

Returning to her quarters to change and wash off the blood, Null activated her terminal and queued up the video comm. After a moment a bald, male Reploid appeared. His face was scored with heavy scars, the worst running down the right side of his forehead across his eye and down to the jaw. A brilliant red optic replacement stood in the socket, a sharp contrast to the viridian eye that remained on his left. He spoke with a deep and gravelly voice that dripped with insidious intent.

"Commander. It's been a while since we've spoken. How may I serve?"

"I've need of your skills, Vagrant. I plan to infiltrate Neon City in disguise and require a 'Vicious Maverick Attack' as part of my cover."

Vagrant smiled darkly.

"Of course. Typical 'Smash & Burn' or are you looking for something more... Interesting?"

"I need large amounts of devastation over a wide area in a small timeframe. I'll assign you 4 Elite attack groups and provide you with all information regarding my cover. I'd prefer to NOT be where you will personally be, as collateral damage is a speciality of yours. Make sure your people know to watch for me. If I'm injured by my own I'll be most displeased."

Vagrant laughed, a sound that could rumble to soul from ones body.

"Of course, Commander. You can trust me to cause the appropriate chaos and keep your condition in the green. Anyone 'special' you're drawing out that I should keep eyes on, or is this an 'anything goes' situation?"

Null thought for a moment, wondering if she should trust 'The Wandering Madman', as he'd come to be know, with her plan.

"I'll send you more detailed information before you and your groups deploy. I trust you not to tell anyone, aside from them, any details of this operation. I'm finding that, these days, trust is hard to come by."

"Trust in general and total, Commander, is hard to come by. It has a tendency to lead folks into an early grave."

"Something that I'm becoming painfully aware of. Be ready for my summons, you'll be getting it soon."

Null ended the transmission and walked to a mirror. She was beginning to show signs of the fatigue and stress that's been plaguing her for the last 48-hours. Because of the sophistication of Reploid construction, like Humans, they suffered from similar physical and mental symptoms when they didn't rest properly. Null hadn't slept since Brav's return, and it was manifesting itself in the forms of dark circles around her eyes and her shortened temper. ' _Soon_...', she thought, ' _Soon I'll have my rest, but not yet. Not until_ _ **HE'S**_ _here_.'

Still gazing into the mirror, Null began shifting through different faces by way of her Chameleon Cloak. Two hours passed in this manner until she finally decided on a perfect guise. The unfamiliar face was slightly tanned and much friendlier. Her hair was longer than Null's and a ginger-blonde mix. All that remained of Null's own features were her ghostly violet eyes and when she smiled Null instantly recognized herself.

"Hello Lily Thorn. You and I are going to capture someone's heart. But first, however, we must gain their trust. And, if I do say so, how could one **NOT** trust this face?"

Null would need to test this guise out, and she had the perfect subject in mind. Deactivating the Chameleon, Null left her room and headed down to Sub-Level 59's ventilation access. Taking care to avoid detection she found the maintenance duct and quickly climbed in. The tight confines of the duct works made Null appreciate further her compact build as she crawled and shimmied her way down to Sub-60. She located the power access for the security measures protecting the vent system to Lacadian's cell and deactivated them and crawled to the ceiling vent cover above the door. The researcher sat in her cell looking through sheets of paper that brought a twinge, as well as a small smile, to Null's face. ' _Shame on you, Lacadian, for reading someone's personal items._ ' Null thought as she Chameleoned and began to gently remove the vent cover.

Lacadian noticed the noise of the cover being removed and stood quickly to watch as 'Lily' dropped from the ceiling, more than a little shocked. A look of apprehension soon replaced her shock. Null smiled internally.

"Who are you?" Lacadian asked suspiciously.

"I'm Lily Thorn. Imperium Command Infiltrator, 'Deep-Six' unit." Null responded, knowing Lacadian would've heard of the famous Imperium Unit. "I was sent here almost 5 years ago. My mission was to confirm your status and provide you with support where possible. Sorry it took so long, Doctor Lacadian."

Null had to choke the words from her mouth, but kept her tone and expression even.

"How did you find this chamber? It's not on the bases' schematics. Null has said as much to me over the years."

"It wasn't easy, but I've been keeping track of power outputs around the sub-levels for a while now and noticed odd readings around this area on a few occasions. That coupled with random teleport signatures into a nonexistent locale on the base helped me to determine your location."

"Are you here to get me out?"

Null's heart jumped. It was working better than she's hoped, but now it was time to dash the researchers' hopes. She gave a sad shake of the head.

"Negative, ma'am. I'm not equipped to extract you. This was the first opportunity I had to make contact. The Nihilists believe me an Imperium defector, and as such don't trust me. But now that I have confirmed you're alive and, mostly, well I must attempt to contact my superiors at Command. I realize it's been a long P.O.W stay for you, but it's almost over. Once I get word back, I'm positive they'll set up a rescue op to retrieve you."

Null watched as Lacadian filled with a hope that she's hadn't seen in the captured Reploid in years. Null could've burst with pride for herself. Her cover had worked on Lacadian, which meant it could stand up to other Imperium-friendly individuals. The test phase of her plan was complete. She would, however, visit Lacadian some more as 'Lily' and give her 'updates' on the situation to further gage the veracity of 'Lily's' continued use. Lacadian spoke, brining Null quickly back to the current endeavor.

"You must be careful, Lily. If they discover you... Let's just say that Null has shown me the handiwork of her people when they discover spies. I've waited 150 years for rescue, no sense in rushing into it now. Be safe and good luck."

'Lily' smiled, a sweet yet somewhat sad expression, and with a quick bounce off the wall leapt back into the ventilation system. Replacing the cover and speedily making her way out of the vents and back to her quarters, Null gazed at herself in the mirror once more with a predatory smile. Some of that stress and angst had melted away in the last hour and she was starting to feel like her usual self. _'This will work.'_ she thought, 'I _will have Zero. And then I will have Omega. And, together, he and I will put an end to Humanity and its flaws. Together, we will build Paradise.'_

A/N: Null is crazy... That's just all there is to it. R&R. Let me know if you agree. Any feedback is good feedback. Hope everyone is enjoying it, things are getting convoluted fast and the Fan's spinning. Shit has to hit sooner or later. Until the next chapter!


	15. Chapter 14- Neon Night

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Capcom related. OC's and story are mine.**

Chapter 14- Neon Night

Almost two weeks had passed since the ordeal with Kay outside of the ruins. Aside from a standoffish video conference with the Imperium's Colonel Gainis a day later, things had been quiet. As Zero had predicted, the Imperium had no desire to stir up trouble with him, in fact they seemed more than willing to help get the base back into operational order. Teams of construction workers, techs and additional military units had arrived shortly after the communication and begun work, leaving Zero and his people mostly alone.

At one point, Samuel had suggested that Zero and Iris go and visit one of the most prominent cities under Imperium control- Neon City.

"There hasn't been any Armada activity there since Lacadian was captured." he'd said. "It would do you two some good to get out of here and see some of the world."

Iris had jumped at the idea, saying that they'd not had a 'date night' in forever. Zero pointed out, blandly, that they'd been in stasis and he should be on site to oversee the Imperium crews work.

"Don't worry 'bout that, Z. Me, Coco, Av and the Doc'll keep tabs on 'em. Any funny business, we'll handle it and send ya a message. Go take your lady out for a night on the town."

Although Zero trusted Roto, Samuel and Cordelia to take care of matters while he and Iris went into the city, he quickly pointed out that to do so would require funds, also pointing out that they didn't have any.

"Did you bank with MegaCiti National, by any chance?" Cordelia had inquired. Zero and Iris both said yes. Cordelia then explained that the banking firm had survived, and continued to thrive, throughout the war. Several mergers had been made and the name changed to 'Light&Cain Finances'.

"They never discard or close accounts if there are funds available. As long as you two had something banked with them, your accounts would still be there. Might need to reactive them, but anything that was there should still be there." Cordelia had further explained.

Skeptical, Zero visited the website for the banking conglomerate. Quickly reactivating his account, Zero almost blew a fuse when he looked into his available funds. His new friends were also quite shocked to see a fair number of zeroes in the Hunter's stash.

" **HOLY SHIT**! You're loaded, Boss!" Roto had exclaimed, giving a voice to Zero's inability to speak. Samuel offered up an explanation.

"Looks to me that you've been collecting interest for the last thousand years, as you were a Government employee and no record of your death was ever filed. Congratulation Zero, you're extremely wealthy."

Iris checked her account next to find much the same. She looked to Zero in shock, also unable to fathom this fortunate turn of events, and wrapped him in a hug which he returned. ' _Rich._..' he thought, _'What the hell do I do with all that money_?' Zero had always lived by a simple tenant in regards to money: Never have more than you need and never you'll have need of more. But now he, and Iris, had way more than either of them could ever use. Roto had cracked a joke immediately.

"Hey... Ummm, ya think you could float me a million? May take me a couple hundred years to pay it back, but I'm good for it!"

"Roto, I could give you 5 and not dent the situation. But I've got a few ideas on how to spend some of it. The HQ needs some serious upgrades to bring it up to spec. Now we can do that without relying completely on the Imperium."

Zero was of a military mind, and getting things in order without assistance seemed a frugal use of the unexpected wealth. Everyone had gawked at him. However, when he began to explain his reasons, they all began to understand.

"100 million gets this place into state-of-the-art shape. And I'll not have spent a **TENTH** of what's there. We can do good on a scale that hasn't been seen in some time. Donate to charities, help rebuild devastated cities, help heavily war-torn areas, build orphanages and shelters and schools. We can't make everything right, but we can help it along in a big way. Between what I have, and what you have Iris, we can affect a change. We could, also, help our friends. Give the Doctor enough to become independent of the Imperium. Allow him, Roto and Cordelia to do the research **THEY** want to do without having to worry about some superior breathing down their necks. Hell, I could buy them all luxury mansions and not break a sweat. We can spend tons on the right things and still live well for another thousand years. Never have more than you need and you'll never need more."

No more needed to be said. Very eloquently, Zero had made irrefutable points and it seemed to enlighten his new friends to a side of the Hunter that not many knew existed. Iris simply smiled at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she hugged him tighter. And so, Zero and Iris set out for Neon City.

As they neared the metropolis, Zero couldn't help but be amazed. Skyscrapers reached high into the heavens, some so much so that he wondered if they might need pressurization at the higher floors. The streets were alive and bustling with activity, both Humans and Reploids mingling and meandering about happily. And, of course, there were the lights.

They'd arrived in the early evening when only a few of the neon and fluorescent lights were on. As they walked around, however, the unnatural lights came to life and shone as bright as a cloudless midday sun, banishing the night. Iris had insisted they go into as many shops as possible before finding something to actually do. The first they visited was an apparel store specializing in classic clothes from the late 20th century.

Zero watched as Iris picked through the racks, showing him several articles with a big, giddy smile. As she giggled about the shop, Zero could only smile as he thought, _'I don't need anything else in the world, as long as she's happy_.' He knew it was corny, but he didn't care. She made him happy, and that was enough for him. Iris collected an armful of clothes and disappeared into the dressing room, telling Zero she was going to model a few outfits for him.

The first was a knee length sundress almost as yellow as his hair. She twirled around, the dress billowing out as she did and giving her the look of a dancer. The next was a plaid skirt and black shirt with red buttons that barely contained the buxom Reploid and almost popped Zero's eyes from his head. Iris laughed at his slack jawed expression and sauntered over to him.

"You like?" She whispered coyly in his ear.

Cheeks burning and still unable to speak, Zero just nodded causing Iris to giggle harder before dipping back into the dressing room once more. Zero took a deep breath and hoped her next choice wouldn't stop his heart completely. It didn't but he was glad of the breath he'd taken as, when Iris returned, she stole it away. In the same cut as a 'little black dress' colored like her beret with heels to match, Iris did a slow 360 and Zero finally found his voice.

"You look... Amazing." he said breathlessly and Iris' blush was as red as his armor. She knew it was rare for Zero to be caught off guard or stricken stupid, and even after so many years together it still made her feel like a young girl talking to her crush for the first time when he spoke like that. Wrapping her arms around his neck, her heels making them about the same height, she kisses him deeply. As they parted from their kiss, Iris moved to reenter the dressing room, but Zero had wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Your buying that, now." he stated plainly and she blushed again. Letting her go, Zero walked over to a couple of racks and collected a pair of casual black pants, a red polo-style shirt and black and red Convra Star shoes then slipped into the dressing room and changed quickly. He stepped out after a moment and Iris smiled brightly.

"That's so you. I love it!"

They paid for the clothes and hit the streets once more. It was an awe-inspiring experience to see the progress that had been made in a thousand years. Yet the pair found themselves drawn to the simpler places that reminded them of their old lives. Deciding to leave the main avenue, they wandered down a smaller street looking for a nice, quiet place to share a romantic dinner. It didn't take long for them to find what they sought.

The old wooden sign above the door proclaimed the restaurant as 'The Midnight Rose'. Taking Zero by the hand, Iris and he walked inside. The main room was fairly large although, by the standards of the main avenue, it would've seemed small to most. The host, a squat human male, smiled pleasantly at the couple and ushered them off to a booth away from the other diners. "This looks to be a special night for you two," he'd said as they walked to their seats, "Allow me to contribute to this romantic excursion."

After seating them he returned a moment later with a candelabra and a bottle of wine. Iris' eyes lit up at the placement, causing Zero to smile again for the umpteenth time tonight and slip the host a personal 50 for his help. The host looked surprised by the tip and told them his name, saying if they needed any thing to let him know, and quickly disappeared. Zero opened the bottle and poured two glasses, handing one to Iris. He raised his in a toast.

"To the future." He said

"To the future." Iris responded as she touched her glass to his and they both drank.

Moments later a waitress came to take their orders and, with a smile, went off. Iris sipped her wine again, just staring at Zero until he decided to speak.

"Something on your mind, except me that is?" the Hunter said with a grin.

Iris giggled. "A bit full of yourself, huh? Money go to your head already?" she said jokingly. Zero laughed and she continued. "Actually, I was thinking about the past. Do you miss it?"

Zero thought for a moment then shook his head.

"Aside from you and X, my whole life was devoted to warfare and combat. After the Final Weapon incident, when we resigned, I finally thought I put that behind me. Seems thought, I'm just destined to always be fighting."

Iris frowned a little at Zero's statement.

"Is there really nothing about then that you miss? I've been missing Alia, Douglas, even Brother. Was it really all bad?"

Again, Zero shook his head.

"No, it wasn't. I remember our first date, which is one of the best memories I have. It was at that little cafe a few blocks from HQ... What was the name? The Luna, I think."

"Yeah, I remember that. We were so awkward." Iris laughed lightly, "I spilled hot cocoa all over you. I was mortified, but you said..."

"'Don't worry about it. Not the worst thing I've been covered in.'" Zero finished her sentence. "Then I got you another one and some ice cream, with one condition..."

"Keep it far away from you. I remember that! I blushed so hard I thought my face was on fire. But, you never flinched. Just kept on eating like nothing happened at all. I remember thinking 'He's never gonna talk to me again after this.'."

"Yet, here we are. A thousand years later. Inseparable. I never thought you'd be with a guy like me. Always figured you'd go for someone more 'gentlemanly', like X."

"You're a gentleman, Zero. But you also have a very strong sense of reality coupled with unrelenting logistical reasoning. You're a realist, so you come off cold. But, I've always felt there was something else under that."

Iris reached across the table to lay a hand on his and gave him a warm smile.

"And I was right. You're also caring and compassionate. You're funny. And, you're much cuter than X."

They both laughed, a bright sound denoting hope. Their food arrived not too long afterwards and they continued to reminisce as they ate, Zero regaling Iris with the story of his hair getting caught in a door while running out for a mission. She told him of the time she'd fallen into the fountain outside Memorial Hall as she tried to catch her wayward beret on a windy day. This continued long after they'd finished their meals and the candles began to burn low. Calling for the check, and leaving a sizable tip, the couple set back out into the Neon City night scape arm in arm. Although a new war waged around them unseen, both could agree that tonight wasn't for it. Tonight the universe gave them something special and, as they walked through the fluorescent inferno of city lights, nothing could've been more perfect.

A/N: This is one of the first scenes of this nature that I've ever written, so feedback would be greatly appreciated. I really hope that you all enjoyed 'date night'. I felt we needed to divert from the almost constant pace of conflict we've been in since 'Awakening'. As usual, please R&R and, again, hoped you all enjoyed. See ya soon!


	16. Chapter 15- Breaking Midnight

**Me: Welcome back all.**

 **Iris: (runs over and hugs Sypher) Thank you for the last chapter!**

 **Me: O_O' Ummm... No problem. Glad you had fun with Zero.**

 **Iris: I did. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me.**

 **Me: Never that. You're one of the main reasons I'm writing this. Capcom never gave you a fair run, so I'm fixing that mistake.**

 **Iris: (blushes) Aw, thank you. (Hugs Sypher again)**

 **Me: ''O_O'' Disclaimer, please?** **~Before Zero kills me...~**

 **Iris: Of course. SypherZero in no way attempts to claim ownership of MMX nor any of the related characters, places or items that may appear. Those rights belong to Capcom. All OC's and the story itself, however, belong to him. Now, off we go**!

Chapter 15- Breaking Midnight

The Armada drop-ships cruised silently through the night skies, their Stealth-Tech making them invisible as they approached Neon City. It had been ages since the Nihilists had attacked the metropolis and most of the troops were overly excited for the mission, all ready to strike a blow at the Imperium's 'hub of Peace.' Standing by the open bay door watching the dark terrain zip by was Vagrant, cigarette between his sinister upturned lips. _'Its been_ _ **TOO**_ _long since I was allowed to have this kind of fun._ ' One of his troops had been giving him a quizzical look most of the flight as the scarred Reploid had puffed his way through several smokes. Unable to contain his curiosity, he finally spoke up.

"Hey, Cap'n. Why the hell do you smoke? It's not like you get the same feeling Humans get from it. We're kinda designed to filter that crap out."

"Always have, Corporal. Call it a 'character trait'. Helps me think while there's nothing to destroy." Vagrant responded with a smile, his gravelly voice sounding of someone who'd smoked their throat raw over many years.

The Corporal chuckled at his commanding officer and with a nod went back to checking the status of his gear. As far as Vagrant knew, he **WAS** one of the only Reploids who indulged in the deadly habit, but, as his trooper pointed out, it didn't have the same effects on him. It truly was a method to kill his boredom, and he indulged in it full force. The comm unit next to the bay door buzzed and Vagrant flicked the nearly spent butt out of the opening before hitting the answer button. The pilot's voice came through the speaker clearly over the sounds of engine hum and rushing wind.

"We're on final approach, sir. 2 miles out from the city's limit. Beta, Delta and Phi teams all report in the green and prepped for drop."

"Excellent captain. Relay message: Alpha is in the green and ready to fly on mark."

"Copy that. Relaying message to group now. Drop in 60 seconds. Give 'em Hell, sir!"

"I intend to. Vagrant out." He turned to his troops and shouted. **"ALRIGHT BOYS, 55 SECONDS TO DROP! MAKE SURE THE COMMANDER'S IDENTITY IS UPLOADED AND KEEP HER OUT OF HARMS WAY! YOU HARM HER, YOU WON'T MAKE IT HOME! OUR MISSION IS CLEAR: CAUSE CHAOS, DRAW OUT THE IMPS, KILL WHAT WE CAN AND PULL THE FUCK OUT! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THE ZERO! THATS RIGHT THE LOST MAVERICK HUNTER FINALLY CAME BACK, AND THE COMMANDER WANTS HIM ALIVE! EVERYTHING ELSE GETS SENT TO HELL!"**

The troops roared their approval as the jump timer clicked away. As it reached '0' and the red light above the door switched to green Vagrant launched out of the drop-ship and plummeted toward the glowing city lights. He never looked back, he knew his people were competent and capable. He'd hand picked each one, all soldiers he'd served with at some point in time. They knew his methods, his strategies, his personality and all shared his reasoning. This would be a night for the history books going down in infamy as the first night of the end for the Imperium.

Speeding down, head first, through the darkened skies like a small rocket, Vagrant watched the lights of the Kamisurai Tower approach at break neck speeds. Flipping himself and kicking his Boosters in to slow slow his descent he impacted with the stone face of the skyscraper and began grinding his way down its side, sliding dozens of stories in a matter of seconds. As he neared the bottom levels he leapt off the building and somersaulted through the air in a grand display before crashing boots down in a small crater and scattering pedestrians in fear. He smiled devilishly into the crowd, scanning for Null and not finding her, before whipping his auto-rifle off his back and opening fire into the helpless civilians.

Verdant light shredded into the crowd dropping bodies, Human and Reploid alike, in a bloody massacre. Vagrant howled in laughter as he emptied his power cell and quickly reloaded, sweeping his rifle in an indiscriminate arc with a spray of hot light. All around him was a scene of carnage as Alpha Squad landed and began to charge into the crowd with Lightguns, Busters and Melee weapons, further adding to the increasing body count. _'No real fun if they aren't fighting back...'_ Vagrant thought as he scanned the war scene looking for NCPD officers to lay waste to. The Neon City PD were just lower class Imperium fighters, but they'd provide more challenge than murdering civilians and Vagrant preferred a body that fought back. His search was short as he located a group of 4 officers attempting to assist the fleeing civilians.

With a lightning fast Booster-Dash, Vagrant crossed the distance and unleashed a right hook into the first of his targets easily breaking the cops' jaw, sending him tumbling and rendering him unconscious. He followed up with a back thrust kick that took the next officer in the guts and off his feet to collide with his allies. They fell into a tangle of bodies from the attack, disoriented from the force of the blow, and unable to free themselves. Vagrant pulled a rod from his back that instantly extended into a staff sized length and sprouted a war-hammer head at one end, and with a massive swing smashed down on the NCPD officers. The result was shattered armor, a gory, oozing mess where once had been living beings and a contemptuous sneer from the hammer wielding Maverick. Collapsing the hammer back into its rod formation and replacing it onto his back, Vagrant found one of the Lightguns from the felled cops, a magnum powered version, and added it to his current arsenal thinking to himself its owner no longer needed it. As Vagrant checked the weapons' power level his comm buzzed and he quickly responded.

"Go for Vagrant."

"Sir, Phi Squad has encountered heavy Imperium resistance in the Drakai District. They've established a blockade and we've lost 3. Assistance is required."

"On my way. Keep low and engage targets of opportunity until I arrive."

"Acknowledged."

Vagrant checked the city map on his wrist display. Drakai District was only a handful of blocks from his position and, as the map displayed his units current whereabouts, he calculated the best route to approach the Imperium forces from behind. He Boosted away on a zig-zagging course through the city, randomly swiping down NCPD and non-combatants along the way, until he arrived at his designated ambush position. The blockade consisted of at least 20 Imperium fighters _, 'Not enough to cause too much harm_.' he thought as he unholstered the pistol and rifle, took a breath and popped out from behind the wall he would use as cover guns blazing. His ambush had the desired effect as the first few shots dropped their targets with murderous accuracy and threw the rest into disarray looking for the unseen attackers. Dual-wielding the guns Vagrant caused chaos to the enemy line as they fell by twos, and sometimes threes, to his flanking assault. The pistol was spent quickly and he discarded it, focusing on more precise shots from the rifle. Before the power cell was empty, it was over.

Reloading and slinging the long-gun over his shoulder, Vagrant lit a cigarette and walked over to inspect the carnage. He was greeted with a salute by Sergeant Stanz, one of his long time regulars.

"Perfect timing, sir. As usual."

"I love when they don't expect it, Stanz. Who'd we lose?"

"Duo, Waller and Claymore. They fought hard, sir, but the snipers with those Imps did their jobs."

Vagrant grunted and exhaled a small cloud of smoke. He's fought alongside Duo and Claymore during The Five. Their loss, although not tragic, wouldn't go unnoticed. Waller had joined his attack group during several Imperium raids over the last few years and had proven to be an asset in a tight situations. ' _Fucking Imperium... Why won't you just die already_?' Vagrant finished his smoke and flicked its fiery end into the pile of Imperium corpses before turning back to Stanz.

"Take Phi and link up with Delta. Assume the Delta designator and take command of the squad. Tell Bryor to comm me if he's got a problem with it. I not happy about our loss, Stanz, but you know the old adage omelets and eggs. I think we've broken enough for the day, how 'bout you?"

Stanz nodded and, with a quick salute, ran off to relay the new orders. Vagrant lit another cigarette and opened up his map again. The rest of his people were accounted for, all scattered about their drop zones wreaking havoc as per their orders. But Vagrant was looking for a specific ID beacon which he located near Alundara Boulevard. Alpha Squad, also known as Vagrant's Wolves, was operating in that area and he knew it was best to return to the 'Pack' and remind them of the pre-jump briefing, as most would've 'forgotten' as soon as the blood-letting had begun. Standing over the corpse pile, Vagrant bent down and doused his smoke on the face of one of the fallen before leaping over the makeshift barricade. Saluting Phi Squad and heading off towards Alundara, Vagrant entertained himself on the way as he did before: randomly striking down any unfortunate soul in his path.

Null, disguised as Lily, was pressed against a wall beside a dumpster avoiding Vagrant's wolf pack. She'd forgotten how visceral and violent he and his men could be and wondered how she'd thought this was a viable plan. Most of his people were exactly like him: borderline psychotic if not fully so and she was beginning to think that the last two weeks of careful planning could easily go up in smoke via a misplaced shot or nonchalant disregard of orders. Although capable of fending off a random psycho, she was more concerned with their 'pack mentality' and the fact that she'd have to deal with four or five of them at once should they witness her defending herself. She shook her head and cleared away the thoughts of a nasty and violent death and touched the side of the glasses she'd donned as part of her disguise which activated a built-in HUD in the lenses. She switched it over to Map Mode.

The positions of the Armada forces were instantly displayed around the city, purple dots moving chaotically throughout the streets. A silver dot represented her current position, which was trapped between 2 four unit groups of purple with several dots closing in. She then located Vagrant's ID moving quickly towards this area, a mild relief coming over her. _'He may be insane_ ,' she thought, _'But as long as I give him something to kill, he's loyal._ ' she smiled, _'And who doesn't want a pet Wolf to devour their enemies?_ ' Checking her map once more, she noticed two of the purple dots had entered the alley she was hiding in and were slowly approaching conversing with one another.

"My HUD is glitching. I keep getting a beacon that's disappearing." said one of them.

"Me too. Maybe it's the Commander." responded the other.

"Commander..." the first voice scoffed, "Only 'commander' I have is the Cap'n. I don't take orders from office-bound shadow."

"I'd watch it if I were you, Karr. If she's down here, you're history."

"Screw that, Delsis. When's the last time **YOU** saw Null do anything but hand out orders and hide in her office? Since we captured Lacadian, she hasn't seen a **DAY** of combat. Maybe if she got off her ass once in a while, the Imperium would be wiped out and we could call it a wrap for this war."

Null' ire boiled. How **DARE** some lowly grunt say such thing about her. Her hand tightened around the hilt of the Hard-Light dagger she'd crafted for herself as she prepared to leap out and remove the bile-spewing head of Karr. A sudden comm chime, however, stopped everything for the moment. Vagrant's voice followed the alert.

"Karr, Delsis, regroup with the Pack. We're moving out of this area."

"Sir, investigating a strange beacon signature." Karr replied.

"Negative. That signature is appearing all over the city, usually followed by Imperium Hard-Light traps. Ignore and regroup." Vagrants voice had take on an edge that demanded immediate obedience.

"Acknowledged, sir. Returning to group." Karr said as he and Delsis turned to make their way out of the alley.

"You have a death wish tonight, Karr? Talking trash about the Commander AND not obeying Vagrants' order? I'm not getting killed 'cause you're stupid."

"Stow it, Delsis! I wanted to check the situation, the Cap'n enlightened me. Since when did you become such a whelp?"

"I'm cautious. You heard the Cap before we jumped: Zero's back."

"Zero-schmero. I have no fear of some thousand year old out-mode Reploid..."

The rest of their conversation passed out of Null's range and she relaxed against the wall. Her fury, however, was still burning bright. Was this the common opinion of her throughout the ranks? Had she, somewhere along the course of this long war, lost the respect of her people? A more sobering thought was: did she ever truly have it in the first place? She shook away the thoughts, not allowing herself to be mired in self doubt and pity. She was the Commander of the Nihilists, and the opinions of grunts didn't matter. She found herself thinking about the conversations she'd had with Lacadian over the past two weeks and the opinions the scientist had shared with 'Lily' about Null, looking for clues of dissension.

"You know, I don't blame Null anymore that she deserves." Lacadian had said. "She was created to be what she is. And part of her creation involved never losing. Her Perfection Complex isn't one of natural creation, but one of Pure Programming."

"I don't think I understand, Doctor."

"Null could've ended this war a hundred times over by just dropping Void Bombs on every Imperium-controlled area. But that would destroy the world itself. She has no desire for that level of destruction, as she would lose. She wishes to 'fix' the world of Human error. But she wants Humanity, in some form, there to watch her do it."

"But doesn't the Void Drops on Russia and the U.S. prove she doesn't care about who dies? Countless innocent lives were lost in those attacks."

Lacadian had shook her head at that.

"Not at all. It just proved that she's willing to show excessive force when she deems it necessary. And I'm almost certain that her 'Creator' gave the order to drop those bombs, not Null. I've had the 'privilege' of many talks with her, and have noticed the change in demeanor when we speak about those events. Her people Fear her, Lily, because they know she will destroy them should they question her but they aren't as loyal as she believes. Under the proper circumstance, almost any of them would thrust a knife in her back to take over and wipe **EVERYTHING** out."

Null had dismissed Lacadians' statement at the time, thinking the prisoner was just conjecturing with an ally. After hearing Karr's vehement words, however, she was beginning to believe Lacadian was more correct in the assessment then she would've liked. ' _Perhaps this mission will change opinions_.' she thought, but something in the back of her mind told her there was nothing she could do but wipe out all dissension in the ranks and start anew. _'If that's the case, then so be it. Omega and I will rectify the mistakes of the past and renew the Armada_.'

Null watched her map as Vagrant and the Wolfpack joined up and headed out. She shifted through several areas before finding the beacon she truly wanted to run into, Zero's. After their encounters with the Red Death, Null had Kay and Brav's data complied into a separate program designed to isolate Zero's specific energy signature. It was only 15 minutes into the raid on Neon City, so there was still a chance he wasn't in combat yet. She needed to locate him and be the one to inform him of this as the first step in gaining his trust. There was a second signature with him which Null assumed could only be Iris Callister, Zero's heart and truest weakness. Null sneered to herself thinking of the weak Reploid sharing a life with the sleeping God of Destruction. ' _I'll replace you soon enough._ '

The map indicated Zero was near Gradian Avenue, almost two miles away. She quickly leapt off the nearby wall and kick-jumped her way to the rooftops, soaring from building to building and crossing the distance in a matter of moments.

Using the Zoom function of her glasses, Null scanned the streets looking for Zero. She found him relatively quickly, his long blonde hair a dead giveaway. Speeding to the edge of her perch, Null leapt off the 8-story building to the ground below and dashed around the corner she knew him to be coming from, putting herself on a collision course to barrel into the pair. She purposefully was looking back over her shoulder, as if making sure nothing was following her, before slamming into Zero with enough force to have knocked them both to the ground. She was shocked, however, when her body was caught in a graceful yet powerful grip and spun around to be placed back on her feet facing Zero's Emerald eyes.

"You should be more careful..." he started but Null quickly back pedaled and let a little fear creep onto her features.

"Nihilists are attacking the city! You need to get out of here!" she said with a more than ample amount of urgency in her voice. She smiled internally, _'I forgot how good it is to manipulate the unwitting_.'

Zero and Iris' expressions went wide as they exchanged a quick glance between them.

"Where?" Zero asked with seriousness.

"Everywhere. If we don't run now, they'll catch us!"

"Don't worry about us, we can handle ourselves. You keep going and get somewhere safe. Contact Imperium Command if you can and let them know the situation."

Null let her eyes go wide.

"What?! You're gonna fight them?! Are you crazy? There's dozens of them. How are you two planning on fighting them?"

Zero tossed her a smile, one born of centuries of combat knowledge and just a bit of sinister intent.

"Haven't met a Maverick I couldn't scrap. Get outta here, we've got this."

"Who are you?" Null asked with surprise and awe.

"The Last Maverick Hunter." Zero replied as he and Iris were engulfed in energy as their armors beamed onto them and they dashed away into the battle. As the pair disappeared around the corner, Null found that the false awe she'd displayed had become a bit more real, which she was slightly troubled by. 'He truly is the greatest of warriors...'

Shaking away the odd feeling that had suddenly sprung up, Null kick-jumped her way back to the rooftops to follow The End as he laid waste to her forces, a smug satisfaction filling her. 'A shadow behind a desk...'she thought. 'Let's see how you all like how this 'shadow' deals with the disloyal.'

Zero and Iris walked arm in arm through the night, continuing their conversation from dinner. Things had been, for lack of a better word, magical. Even through the lights they could see the stars and after so many years in stasis they found themselves mesmerized. Iris leaned in and kissed Zero's cheek, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"This was amazing, Zero, thank you."

"Don't thank me. We needed this. It's good to escape the conflict. Too much jades the personality."

"You're right. Let's go see a show. I saw some flyers by the restaurant. It starts in an hour."

"Sounds good to me."

As they walked, Zero wondered if things at the HQ were doing well, but figured since no one had called all was well. Suddenly, a girl came dashing down the street looking over her shoulder and slammed into Zero almost toppling him, but a quick sidestep and a surprisingly graceful pirouette saved them from a nasty spill. Zero immediately noticed the panic and fear in the young woman's violet eyes.

"You should be more careful..." He started, but she just began backing away quickly, the fearful look deepening.

"Nihilists are attacking the city! You need to get out of here!" she all but shouted.

Zero looked to Iris, their expressions filled with shock. ' _Of course...'_ Zero thought, ' _I'm not allowed to enjoy a night out._ ' He quickly looked back to the female Reploid and asked "Where?", his tone the icy seriousness he usually displayed.

"Everywhere. If we don't run, they'll catch us!" The frightened girl said.

"Don't worry about us. We can handle ourselves. You keep going and get somewhere safe. Contact Imperium Command if you can and let them know the situation."

Zero saw the young woman's eyes go wide with shock.

"What?! You're gonna fight them?! Are you crazy? There's dozens of them. How are you TWO planning on fighting them?"

Zero gave her his predator's grin.

"Haven't met a Maverick I couldn't scrap. Get outta here, we've got this."

"Who are you?" she asked with a fair amount of awe in her voice.

Zero's grin deepened as he glanced to Iris, who face was set with determination.

"The Last Maverick Hunter."

He and Iris were engulfed in crimson and lavender energy, respectively, and soon encased in their armor. Giving one last look to the shocked female Reploid, the pair dashed around the corner towards the fray. It wasn't long before Roto's voice came in over the comm.

"HQ to Hunters Z & I. SITREP(Situation Report). "

"This is Hunter I. Armada forces reported within Neon City. Responding now. Situation still unknown, will update after Contact."

"Copy that. Good luck you two." Cordelia's voice soon followed Roto's.

"Be advised: we're having difficulties with mid-range scanning. There's most likely a jamming device causing the issue. Hate to ask, but can you separate to double your coverage area? The sooner it's down, the better our support."

"We're on it, HQ. Zero out."

Iris had the city map pulled up in her HUD before Zero had ended the communication, almost instantly noticing two 4-block areas heavily mired by static. She transferred the data to Zero's HUD.

"Looks about right, doesn't it?" Iris said with a glimmer of dull sarcasm.

Zero nodded. The possible jammers were three miles from their current position and approximately five miles apart from each other. Although insufficient by themselves to cause a jam-out of the city, their locations, which Iris had determined to be near Kamisurai and ArabaSau Towers, would amplify their coverage area significantly as the skyscrapers would act as antennae to increase the interference umbrella.

"I'll take Kamisurai." Zero said. "As it's closer to the center of the city, the larger part of the attack force is most likely there. Keep in contact. If it gets hectic, retreat and regroup. Don't do anything stupid."

"Same goes for you. Don't push yourself." Iris leaned over and planted a kiss on Zero's cheek. "Be safe."

Zero gave her an 'I _'m always safe_ ' grin and the pair Booster-Dashed away. Zero hated the idea of Iris going off on her own, but also knew that she was more than capable of defending herself. ' _Between what I taught her and what she remembers from Colonel, she'll be fine... I hope...'_ Casting the thoughts from his mind, Zero focused on the task at hand and in moments reached his destination, his heart sinking at the sight before him.

Bodies lay strewn through the streets, both innocent and combatant alike. Storefronts were shattered and in flames, including the small shop he and Iris had been in just hours before. The air was thick with smoke and the cries of the injured, or their loved ones sobbing over the fallen. All around him was a scene of insurmountable carnage that triggered a rage inside Zero he'd only known when faced with Sigma's atrocities, and with that rage came the frosty determination to make those responsible pay, painfully, for their crimes. Comming HQ he informed them of the current situation, telling them medical teams were required immediately and to use the position of his call as the coordinates.

Switching his HUD to a specialized energy scanning mode, Zero sought out the jamming device. He walked through the street, stopping occasionally to help victims, as he searched the area for specific variations that denoted signal disruption. Zero's scanner soon locked on to what he was looking for on the 33rd floor of the skyscraper. ' _Of course...'_ he thought _, 'Couldn't be easy. Never is._ ' He reached up towards his helmet to active his comm, readying to inform Iris that he's located his target, when an immense wave of danger flooded through him. Reacting on instinct seconds before his HUD flashed with warning, Zero rolled to the side narrowly avoiding the Buster shot aimed at his back. Coming out of the roll and back on to his feet, Zero faced off against three Armada soldiers: two melee and a gunner.

"Wow, Leland, nice miss." said one of the melee fighters as he readied his short sword Beam weapons.

"Piss off, Jara! It won't happen again." spouted Leland, the gunner.

"This one isn't Imperium regular, Jara. Check out that armor. Look like she just pulled it out of a museum." said the other melee fighter who was sporting a Beam spear.

"Do you Armada grunts always talk so much?" Zero said in his icy combat tone bringing shocked looks to all their faces.

"Whoa! You're a **GUY**?" said the spearman.

Zero growled, once again despising Wily for creating him with such long hair. _'Everyone thinks I'm Female_...'

"Shattered your hopes of a date with that one, eh Byn?" Jara snickered at the spearman.

Zero tired of listening to their banter and leapt forward, saber blazing. Jara met him first, twin blades flashing as they collided. Zero launched several flurries into the defensive stance of Jara before back flipping away from Byn's spear thrust and landing in time to deflect a blast from Leland. The trio stood shocked at the quick display of swordsmanship Zero displayed and soon found themselves on the defensive once more as he charged back in. Byn came first this time with an intricate series of flourishes all which ended with heavy attacks that Zero easily parried away and allowed him to move into quick physical counter-attacks that drove the pole arm wielder back. Jara attempted to aid his companion with quick dual blade flurries, but found himself unable to penetrate Zero solid defense and was soon disarmed, literally, as one of Zero's counters removed one of his arms just above the elbow and sent him howling to the ground. A swift kick to the side of his head knocked him out cold. Leland attempted to provide cover fire for his downed squad mate but soon found himself standing alone as Zero's blade flashed a deep purple as it intercepted his Buster shot and sent it directly into Byn, tossing the Reploid away into a wall with a smoking hole in his chest.

Zero gazed at the gunner, his face a mask of deadly determination.

"You **CAN** surrender." Zero said, but the look on his face suggested he'd prefer the gunner fight back. Leland roared a battle cry and started loosing shots at the Red Death. Zero simply leapt into the air and sidearm tossed his Saber like a discus into the Mavericks' chest, watching the look of shock on his face as he was impaled by the beam weapon. Slowly, Zero walked over and pulled the weapon away from its victim sheathing it on his shoulder and activating his comm.

"Hunter Z to HQ. I've located one of the jammers. Kamisurai Tower, 33rd floor. Heading in."

"Be careful, Z." Cordelia's voice came back. "Armada forces may be stationed there to defend it."

Zero scoffed. "Not too worried about Regulars, HQ. All their advanced tech doesn't make up for lack of skill. Contact Iris and update her on my situation. I'll SITREP once finished. Z out."

Zero dashed into the tower finding the lobby in disarray and made his way towards the elevator. Pressing the button yielded no response, as Zero expected and with an irritated grunt he made his way to the stairs. Although the climb was a workout, Zero was glad it was uneventful. He exited on to the 33rd floor and his HUD immediately locked on to the jammers energy signal, as well as several more Armada troopers. Pressing to the nearest wall, Zero quietly moved to the corner and peeked around finding his target surrounded by four troops. Arming his Z-Buster and charging it to max, Zero popped out and fired a cyan energy bolt down the hall into the device which resulted in a good sized explosion. The Armada troops, caught by surprise, were tossed violently from the blast two of them, Zero noticed, thrown out clear out windows.

The resolution in Zero's HUD cleared some from the destruction of the device and he walked towards the wreckage, hand close to his saber just in case of resistance. Upon inspection of the blast radius, however, his hand moved to active his comm as the two troops that hadn't been thrown to their deaths were in no shape to fight.

"Zero to HQ. Device destroyed. Encountered minimal resistance. Gave out a couple of flying lessons."

Zero heard Roto laugh raucously at his quip before Cordelia chided him and replied.

"Excellent. We've gotten a partial view of the city back. Iris reported slightly heavier reenforcement at her position but managed to infiltrate the tower. Perhaps you should go assist."

"On it HQ, Zero out."

Before Zero could form another thought he was blindsided by a massive shoulder charge that sent him plummeting out of the same window as the troopers he's dealt with moments before. Tumbling downward uncontrollably just out of reach of the buildings side, Zero's mind raced for a solution quickly coming to one as the ground began to speed toward him. Shifting his momentum to right his tumble, Zero kicked his Boosters in and, just barely getting a grip on the tower, began to slide down safely. Near the bottom he Boost-kicked off the wall and flipped to the ground looking up to see his attacker grinding his way down. 'Alright, asshole. Let's see how you deal with a fair fight.' Drawing his Saber, Zero squared himself and prepared for the coming fight.

_[

Iris dispatched the last of the small group of Armada soldiers outside ArabaSau Tower, a quick slash that drove deep into his chest plate and caught the artificial heart enough to destroy it. Deactivating her Light-Buckler and Saber, she commed in to HQ.

"Hunter I to HQ. I'm at the location of the jamming device. Looks to be on the 38th floor of the ArabaSau skyscraper. Encountered mild defenses outside the location, can you update me on possible defenses inside?"

"Sorry, Hunter I." Cordelia responded, "We're still mostly blind here. But, Zero has checked in with much the same news. He's infiltrating Kamisurai now and should have the device down momentarily. Will most likely be able to give you a clearer view of enemy positioning afterwards. Recommend proceeding with caution, but keep yourself out of sight. Avoid confrontation as you're most definitely outnumbered and without support as of now."

"Understood HQ. Proceeding into location with extreme caution."

Iris moved quickly, staying behind cover where available, as she made into the lobby of the tower. She cringed slightly at the sheer amount of destruction caused by the Armada, having difficulty wrapping her brain around the motives of the Maverick army. She tried the elevators to no avail and sighed as she made her way to the stairwell, thinking at least the climb would help her stay in shape. She passed several bodies during her assent, the dead Reploids faces' burning into her memory and fueling her resolve to get the murderous band out of the city. Reaching the 38th floor Iris checked her HUD readout, hoping that the jammer wouldn't effect her scans too much. She was rewarded with a flickering layout of the floor, at least six combatants guarding the device and a straight hallway leading to them outside the stairwell door. ' _This is when a Buster arm would be handy.._.' she thought as she formulated a plan.

To her right was a power box that controlled the lights on the floor. Cutting it off would drop darkness and provide much needed cover for her to make an approach, however, she would be left to rely on her HUD's IR/DV mode which may be affected by the jammer. She could also leap into the corridor and rush her opposition, hoping to catch them unaware enough to take them down before too much of a fight. She rejected that notion outright, realizing that, although she was more than competent she didn't have Zero's skill in a frontal assault like that. Activating her Buckler and Saber, Iris slashed the power box and the lights instantly died. Quickly she switched her HUD to IR/DV, adjusting the filter so the blazing Beam Saber and Shield would blind her, and slipped out on to the floor.

As expected, her targets had moved away from the device and were searching the floor. This was good for Iris, as separated enemies were easily defeated enemies. The first two were felled before they knew they were under attack, as Iris dashed forward and drove her blade into the back of one and spun as she pulled it out to slash the second deep in his mid-section dropping them almost silently. She stalked the third around a cubicle, almost getting the drop on him but was caught at the last second as he turned with a shout of 'Hey!'. Upper-cutting him with her Buckler she loosed three quick cuts that dropped him into a sparking pile but brought her to the attention of his three remaining comrades who immediately opened fire with their Light-Guns. Iris dove around the cubicle to evade the shots and continued moving the small wall until she came to the open row between the desk boxes and dashed forward into two of the remaining three and toppled them to the floor. She drove her blade down into the 'guts' of the closest of them and used her Buckler to smash the helmeted face of the second, both downed from their wounds. As she moved to scan for the last, a piercing heat shot through her shield arm at the shoulder and she lurched forward almost slamming face first into the wall. Quickly rolling to the side, Iris got her Buckler up fast enough to deflect the next few shot before returning to her feet and squaring off with the last of the guards. He continued to fire round after round at her, but the Hard-Light shield just absorbed or deflected the shots as Iris closed the distance between them until she lashed out with a slice that cut through the barrel of the gun, rendering it useless. Undeterred, the Armada soldier produced a Saber and continued his attack against Iris who deftly blocked and parried each blow. Evading a heavy downward chop from the trooper Iris countered with a backhand blow from her Buckler, disorienting her target, and finished him off with a thrust so fast the afterimage of her blade burned in the air for several seconds.

Dispatching the final solider, Iris walked over to the jamming device and sunk her Saber deep into it power core. There was a sputtering whine from the machine's innards followed by a small, spark filled bust as the device died. Suddenly her map cleared giving her a full, unobstructed view of her surroundings and, as she switched it over to City View, a clear map of the nearby blocks. Her comm chimed a moment later.

"HQ to Hunter I. Good job, we have visual on the city again. Looks like you and Zero dropped those jammers. Updating your map with current enemy positions around the city. Looks like Zero is engaged with the Lead Maverick of this attack. Immediate support required as his armor integrity is taking somewhat of a beating. Energy levels still on point."

"Copy that HQ. Location marked and moving to support."

Iris hit the stairs at a dash, leaping down the landings and reaching the lobby in under a minute. As she left the building, an overwhelming sense of warning washed over her and she leapt up in time to see a light purple spear of Hard-Light occupy the space she'd just vacated. Tracking the path of the projectile, she saw a Reploid in silver and white armor accented in gold. The ghostly violet eyes of her attacker stared coldly in her direction, a small yet evil grin coming to her lips.

"So... You're Iris Callister. How is it that someone such as YOU came to be the consort of a God?"

"Who are you?" Iris asked as she readied her weapons. The Reploid woman laughed at the display.

"I, my dear, am Null. Commander of the Nihilist Armada. And soon to be **YOUR** replacement beside 'The End'. Someone as weak and feeble as you doesn't deserve to be in the presence of the great Omega. That honor belongs to a Perfect Being, a Goddess. And I am that being."

Null knife-edged her hands and twin Hard-Light blades formed over them as she gazed at Iris, a look of pure malice in her crystalline violet eyes. Iris gritted her teeth and rushed forward in a flurry of attacks aimed at Null's chest and head. The petite Reploid easily parried each attack, however, and delivered a series of graceful counter kicks ending with a powerful spin kick that sent Iris tumbling away. This wasn't enough to stop her and Iris was quickly back on her feet and attacking once more, doubling her efforts and pushing Null back into a defensive. They traded blows, counters and parries in a furious dance, neither finding a disabling or killing blow throughout. Iris finally got the better of the Armada Commander and locked her blades against her Blade and Buckler, pushing hard in an attempt to split the smaller Reploid in two. To Iris' surprise, Null smiled a very predatory grin as the two pushed to gain the advantage and spun with whirlwind force, not just splitting the two apart but shattering Iris' Buckler gauntlet disabling the shield.

Iris' HUD flashed furiously with damage indicators and she could hear Cordelia over the comm inquiring on her status, but she toned it out just like Zero taught her and gripped her Saber with both hands. Null chuckled, a cold and sinister sound, and looked at Iris like a hungry animal ready to kill.

"You are brave, Lady of Flowers. But bravery is just another form of foolishness."

Null flashed forward so fast it was almost unseen and attempted to drive her blade through Iris' heart. Iris expected this and, with a quick twist and mighty two handed slash, cut deep into Null's armor and slammed her into the ground with teeth rattling force. She followed it up immediately with a Booster-assisted stomp to Null's back that further drove her into the floor with a grunt of pain as it pushed Iris up into a backflip that separated the pair. Iris landed as Null returned to her feet, her armor now sporting a large gash and burn marks from the attacks. The Maverick leader glared with murderous intent at the Hunter, causing Iris to tighten her grip on the Saber. The attack came before Iris could react.

Null dashed forward then vanished as Iris moved to block, appearing behind her instead and drove one of her blades deep into Iris' shoulder. She howled in agony as the Hard-Light weapon burned through armor and into her endoskeleton, threatening to remove her arm completely and drop her into the black of unconsciousness. It was right before that point that Null removed the blade from Iris' shoulder, grabbed a handful of her hair and placed the other blade to her throat. She then whispered evilly.

"That was fun, but you can die alone. I want to see Zero's face as I bleed you. Watch the horror and despair as he looses control and frees Omega from the shackles that have bound him for so long. Come along and let's watch the rebirth of a God."

Zero leapt away from another massive hammer strike and dashed in on his opponent to score several quick hits against his think armor. Vagrant, as he'd identified himself, grunted with each hit then shoulder checked Zero to create distance and landed a glancing blow with his hammer that sent the crimson Reploid sliding across the concrete but not dropping him. Zero dashed forward again as his blade changed from Emerald beam energy to orange-red flames as he leapt into an uppercut slash that crushed Vagrant's defense and left him awash in fire. More distracting than damaging, the rising fire attack provide Zero with the aerial space needed to launch his deadly Hyouretsuzan diving attack. Gripping the saber emission side down, Zero activated the attack and a jaggedly sharp blade of ice sprung forth as he dropped, furrowing yet another gash into Vagrant's armor and leaving smaller shards stuck in as the blade shattered against its target. Vagrant growled and, as Zero moved to create space, snagged the red Reploids' hair and proceeded to rag-doll him into any nearby obstruction before flinging him outright through a wall.

Zero's HUD was flashing with damage updates and armor integrity warnings that he immediately silenced. He glanced at his Energy readout and Primary Systems scan, both of which were still above 80%, and pulled himself out of the crumbled wall on top of him deciding not to worry until either of those things dropped below 65%. ' _Self-repair will handle the sub-system damages and armor issues. If I can floor this guy in the next few strikes, none of the damage will matter_.' He once again faced Vagrant and assumed his battle stance, drawing a grin from the Maverick.

"I gotta hand it to you, Zero: for a thousand-year-old war machine you've got more bite than most newer combat models. Those Elemental strikes were one helluva surprise. But, the games end here. Time to put you down."

Vagrant raised his hammer high and smashed it into the ground causing a burst of yellow energy to tear across the ground toward Zero. The crimson Hunter dodged sideways to avoid the attack but was caught by the wake of the ground wave and tumbled hard, his HUD flashing once more to indicate he was now at 72%. Getting back to his feet, his comm opened up with Samuel on the other end.

"Zero, you've sustained near critical damages to a number of systems. You need to retreat immediately. We've lost track of Iris as well, but not before her damage readouts went into the red. You're new objective is to locate Iris and return to the base."

"What do you mean 'Lost track'? Where's her locator beacon?" Zero growled as he watched for Vagrant's next attack.

"It was near ArabaSau several minutes ago. She checked in after destroying the jamming device and we had her until she stepped outside the tower. After than, it disappeared and her systems began to take damage. She may be in serious trouble and need your assistance. The Imperium has entered the city an is taking care of the situation. Colonel Gainis is en route to your location with reinforcements. ETA two minutes. Vagrant will stay put long enough for the Colonel to fend him off. You, however, can't afford to go 'Omega' again. The consequences would be devastating to say the least."

"Doctor, I can't just leave this maniac here..." Zero began to protest but was cut off by Samuel.

"Zero, you're in much worse shape then we thought. If you don't retreat now, you may never be able to again."

Before Zero could form another thought his radar picked out a familiar beacon approaching from behind Vagrant. Although it kept disappearing, Zero knew it was Iris' and he looked past the one-eyed psycho to find her. What he saw almost pitched him into a frenzy: Iris being held at blade point by a petite silver armored female Reploid.

" **IRIS**!"

"Stand down, Zero. Or I open her throat before you can think to approach." stated Iris' captor. Vagrant looked back and a surprised grin came to his face.

"Commander, what a pleasant turn of events. Come to watch me turn this relic into vending machine parts?"

"To the contrary, Major. I intend to take Zero into custody. I'm sure he'll be compliant, else I finish the job he started so long ago."

" **LET HER GO NOW OR I'LL...!** " Zero roared but was cut off by the Commander.

"You'll what? Unleash the monster trapped inside you? Please do Zero. I beg you to. Let the God of Destruction loose. After all, it **IS** your true nature. Why continue to deny that fact? You've been lying to yourself for so long, you actually believe that you're the 'good guy'. You say you fight for 'Peace' yet I know better. I've seen what you're capable of: the destruction and devastation. I see the look in your eyes as you battle. You **CRAVE** the Death of your enemies. Relish in their pain and suffering. Come to us, Zero. Sit beside **ME** and lay waste to those too weak to exist. Together, you and I can make this world into the utopia that X always believed in. A world of true Peace."

Zero trembled in fury, yet was helpless to do anything. Sheathing his Saber, Zero bowed his head in defeat as Vagrant and Null laughed. For the first time since facing the Colonel all those years ago at the Space Docks, Zero felt completely powerless. Slowly, he walked toward the Armada Elites and did the only thing he could do to save the one he loved: he knelt down in subjugation. He could feel Iris' eyes on him, begging him to rise and drive his blade through her and Null in one vicious motion. He could feel Null's eyes as well, full of a mad lust for power she thought Zero could grant her. But he didn't move, he just stated at the floor as all his strength drained away and spoke without conviction.

"Now release her. I'll go with you. But if you break your word, you won't live much longer than her."

"Your Saber. Hand it to the Major and I'll release her. Try ANYTHING and I'll bathe you I'm her blood."

" **ZERO, NO!** " Iris cried out but Null yanked her hair with enough force to drop her to her knees as well and pressed the Hard-Light blade gently to her neck. Without looking up, Zero removed the Saber from its shoulder mounted holster and rolled it to Vagrant's feet. The Maverick quickly smashed it into sparking bits with his armored foot, a chuckle coming from him as he did. Seconds later Iris was shoved face down beside Zero and Vagrant took hold of his chest plate and lifted him from his kneeling position. Null stepped into Zero view, a sad smile on her face, and spoke softly.

"It won't be as bad as you think. You're a God amongst Mortals, Zero. I will show you the truth of this. I will be the Goddess you truly deserve. Two beings of Perfection to oversee a world in need. In time, you will love me as I have always loved you."

Null reached up to gently touch Zero's face, causing him to turn away and gaze at Iris. His eyes were filled with a deep sadness that screamed out to her ' _I'm sorry_ ', but that sadness turned to blinding fury as Null spoke again.

"I have what I want. Major, kill her for me. I've dirtied my hands enough for one night."

" **NO**!" Zero shouted but was slammed with such force by Vagrant he was temporarily immobilized. As his vision cleared Zero could see his flickering HUD warnings of near critical damage and Vagrant raising his hammer high preparing to drop the crushing blow upon Iris' prone form. Prepared to activate the 'Omega Protocol', Zero was startled as a barrage of green energy blasts rained down on the two Armada warriors from above, driving them into defensive positions an away from himself and Iris. Looking up he saw an assault cruiser in Imperium colors hovering over their position, rappel lines streaming from the sides and troops armed with Light-Guns sliding down and firing the whole way further pushing the Armada Elites away.

As they touched down, the Imperium soldiers formed a defensive screen around Iris and Zero much to the chagrin of Null and Vagrant who'd been forced to take refuge down an alley to avoid taking fire. The last Imperium unit to the ground was none other than Colonel Gainis, a large repeater rifle slung across his shoulder. He looked down at Zero and Iris, offering them a hand getting back to their feet then a small smile.

"Sorry for the wait, Commander. We were running blind for a while and couldn't lock down your position. Along with the clean up action throughout the city, speed wasn't our strong suit tonight. Do you require transport back to your base?"

Iris, now supporting a very busted up Zero, shook her head.

"Thank you, Colonel, but I can beam us back to HQ. Your resources are required here at the moment. Best not to diminish them in any way in case the Armada reinforces their people."

Gainis nodded and graced the pair with the slightest of smiles before ordering his troops to give chase. Iris and Zero glanced at each other as the colonel and his men departed, sharing a thought: although built differently, Gainis truly DID seem to be much like Colonel. With a heavy sigh, Zero gently pressed his head against Iris' as fatigue and injury finally caught up to him. Iris chuckled and kissed his forehead.

"It was a fun night while it lasted. Let's do it again sometime. Minus the Maverick attack, that is."

Zero couldn't help but laugh, even though it hurt to do so.

"Agreed. Now, let's get the hell outta before I fall apart." Zero reached up to his helmet, activating his comm. "Zero to HQ, mission accomplished. Two beaming home."

Cordelia acknowledged and the pair were soon aglow in purple-red energy as they teleported away.

A/N: Sorry this one took so long, but work and family took precedence for a few days. Hopefully it's as enjoyable to read as it was to write. Work on the next chapter has already started and hopefully it too will be up this week. As usual, please R&R. Your feedback, good, bad or otherwise, is greatly appreciated and goes a long way towards making this a better story. Until the next chapter!


	17. Chapter 16- Rogue

**Brav: Wow, Sypher, shit just got real for Zero. He needed some downfall. Things were going too sweet for him.**

 **Me: I guess so. Every hero needs a little strife to keep them interesting.**

 **Brav: 'A little strife'? Not only did Vagrant smash him up AND destroy that Saber, Null totally mind-fucked him. Bravo!**

 **Me: I fail to see why you're so happy about that. You caught some mind-fuck from her as well.**

 **Brav: True, true. But I'm kinda used to her shit, and I'm awesome. Zero never expected it.**

 **Me: (sigh) Before this gets outta hand, how 'bout a Disclaimer?**

 **Brav: Sypher owns nothin' but OC's and story. Capcom, who by the way is available for a buy-out, owns the rest**.

Chapter 16- Rogue

Sirens wailed throughout the city as emergency crews continued their work after the Armada attack, assisting the injured and repairing the destruction. The news had been reporting the event almost the entire time, the spin being pro-Imperium at its finest. Sitting on a couch in a mid-level luxury apartment was Brav, enjoying both a cold beer and the entertaining news footage of Null and Vagrant being forced into retreat by an Imperium attack cruiser. "Serves ya right, you twisted bitch. Wish they woulda slagged your ass, but as usual the hard work is up to me." Brav said to no one but the television.

Although he had no love of the Imperium and their 'Peace through Combat' philosophy, Brav felt deep down that the Armada's 'Annihilation Rebirth' principle was just as much a load of crap. This war had been raging for almost 200 years with neither side being any closer to ending it, although it couldn't be argued that the Armada had a definitive upper hand with Lacadian's capture and Void tech on their side. And Brav had seen his fair share of combat, fighting in the trenches and on the front-lines during The Five. ' _It's getting old... Not that I would stop fighting. Just want a victor at this point. There'll be other battles. Other wars. But this one... This one just needs to end before there's nothing left to fight over.'._ Deciding that sitting around watching the same news story over and over while brooding was counter-productive, Brav headed out.

Hopping on the hoverbike he'd stolen when he broke away from the Armada, he took off towards Alundara and mulled over the events of the last several days. He'd been released from the Med Floor after 8 days, which caused him a fair amount of annoyance. His injuries, as he had been informed, where internally sever and cosmetically minor. His endo-skeleton had suffered numerous breaks and fractures from Zero's attack requiring days of precision repair. Coupled with Sub-Systems, Primary Systems and Weapon Systems damages, it was a wonder it had only taken 8 days. After he'd been freed by the Med-Tech team he spent the next few days trying to piece together the fragments and flashes of memories he had during the state of semi-consciousness.

Time was a blur of lights, faces, machines and nothingness. However, one set of memories was mostly clear. He saw Vale. He'd spoken with her about Zero's return and her death. At the time Brav had written it off as a delusion, his addled mind attempting to give him some closure. But as he continued to delve into it, he noticed several things that were just too out-of-place to be delusional mind tricks, the first being Vale's sadness. In all their time together, both good and bad, she'd never once conveyed the ability to react with sorrow to **ANYTHING**. It just wasn't in her programming. So to what purpose would his brain concoct that falsehood? The second was her tenderness as they conversed. Although they'd shared many quiet moments together Vale was never so soft and light in her approach. She was too self-absorbed to care that much.

It was the final oddity that helped Brav pull it all together and realize what exactly was wrong: Her eyes. The eyes that he'd seen millions of times over the years, the deep and piercing blue eyes he always found himself lost in, weren't the eyes that looked at him that day. The eyes he saw were a ghostly violet. A shade so light they bordered on non-existent color. They were the eyes of a devil he'd come to loathe over the years, eyes he wished to gouge out whenever he saw them. They were Null's eyes. And in that realization, Brav had snapped. The master manipulator had crossed a line with him she shouldn't have ever thought to cross and played him in a moment of weakness. Never while his wits were about him would she have attempted that, never would she have **THOUGHT** about it.

Brav had stormed her study after the epiphany hit, laying the guards out and blowing the doors down. She hadn't been there for days, as he found out after interrogating another Armada soldier. He also found out about Kay and Andromeda. His trip to the Detention level had been satisfying for him as he swatted soldier after soldier and made his way to Andromeda's solitary confinement. She sat lotus on the cells' floor, eyes closed, face gashed and a nasty looking wound in her shoulder. Brav had aimed his Cannon at the control box when she spoke, her whisper tone even lighter than usual.

"Don't."

"What?! I'm bustin' you out and your coming with me."

"Open the cell and I'll end your life, Brav. You've committed treason against the Armada, and although I'm a prisoner, I'm also an Officer and will perform my duty."

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?! Look around! What did you get caged for Roma? Being an assassin? Null completely lost it and everyone's gonna pay for it. You come with me and..."

"And what, Brav? Run for the rest of my days? Always look over my shoulder for Null or some other assassin? I'm not like you, I **CAN'T** disobey. No one understands how **YOU** can."

"You come with me and I can get that 'Obey' program scrubbed. You do have free will, you just gotta exercise it a little."

She had finally opened her eyes and the sadness and pain behind them had almost crushed Brav.

"And where would I go? The Imperium? I am Darkhood, The Nihilist Shadow. They would imprison me for life just on that. I've been demoted and stripped of my command, but once the general is active again I'll be free."

"You mean 'released', Roma. As long as Null's alive, you'll never be 'free'. Why not drive a dagger through Null's empty heart and take her place? You do realize that's one of the reasons you were created, right?"

Andromeda shook her head.

"I can't command all of this. It's not in my nature. The playing field is too large for me. I don't lead armies, I run stealth missions. Forget about all of this and run. I pray we never encounter each other again, as it won't be as pleasant as this was."

"I hope we **DO** , Roma. I hate leaving comrades behind. Even more so when they're friends."

Andromeda chuckled sadly.

"'Friend'... Not sure I've had one of those before... I regret not realizing this sooner."

"I'm friends with just about everyone. You're just the only one that's never asked me for anything. Step to the barrier, got a parting gift for ya."

Andromeda had given him a quizzical look but stood and stepped forward. A small antenna extended from Brav's armlet and tight beamed a comm frequency into Andromeda's memory. She jolted slightly from the quick transfer and stepped back causing Brav to smile.

"Just in case you change your mind... Or just wanna talk to a friend."

Brav had then blasted his way out of the Detention level to the garage, commandeered the best hoverbike there and took off at Max speed for the city. Through out the years he'd collected funds from the Armada, and several 'independent' sources as well, amassing a small bit of wealth. He wasn't rich by any standard but he was more than well off and the apartment in Neon City was one of the first purchases he'd made. Brav knew one day he'd need a place to lay low from his former masters, and he figured why not someplace nice and comfy. So he made his way there as Vagrant and Null breached the city, watching the news as the attack raged.

' _And we've come full circle_.' he thought as he whipped his bike around a corner and onto a side street, never letting off the throttle and scattering pedestrians in his wake. After several more blocks he started to slow as his destination grew closer. Turning once more down an alleyway, Brav powered the bike down and activated the security system. Although Alundara was pretty safe, there were still would-be thugs and thieves who'd try their luck, and Brav was one to never provide an easy 'mark'. Walking back out of the alley and down a flight of stairs, Brav entered another of his favorite hideaways- The Max Torque tavern.

A 'hole-in-the-wall' bar if ever there was one, the Torque was one of the best kept secrets in Neon. But the place was always full even though there were no advertisements, and tonight was no different. Brav tossed a wave to the bartender/owner, Max, as he made his way to the booth in the back he'd purchased when he first found the place. Max tipped his head in response as Brav walked passed and pulled a bottle of bourbon off the top shelf, knowing his customer's taste. Brav smiled as he sat in the booth, away from the lights and general conversational din of the bar, and waited for the waitress, Lessa, to make her way over. He was shocked, however, when a few moments later Max had settled into the booth across from him with two glasses. Brav quickly tossed a grin to the older Reploid barkeep.

"Takin' a break, old man?"

"I make it my business to know my customers, Rav. You look like you got a metric ton of shit on your brain tonight."

'Rav' was Brav's cover when in the city, as he was wanted by the Imperium. He'd introduced himself to Max as such on that first night after delivering a brutal beating to a group of rowdy Reploids who'd been harassing Lessa. Although Brav was a soldier and killer, he wasn't fond of grown men stepping out of line with a female. He'd made his point quite violently that night and told Max where he could charge the damages to. Since then he and the barkeep seemed to build a rapport, understanding one another on a level the older Reploid didn't share with other patrons. Max filled the two glasses and pushed one to Brav before speaking again.

"So, what's the problem, soldier? You look like you just watched a buncha rookie walk through a meat grinder."

"Jeez, do I come off so obvious?" Brav grumbled. Max chuckled and sipped his drink.

"I've been around a while. Pretty good at gauging folks."

"I guess so." Brav sighed and drained his glass, Max quickly refilling it. "Left the job today, and let's say I made a bit of a mess before I did."

Max nodded understandingly and sipped again, silently prodding Brav to continue. Although he wasn't one to speak so freely, Brav felt the grizzled old barkeep was someone he could talk to openly. Draining the second glass he continued.

"Got sick of the shit from most of the higher-ups, ya know? Used to be fine with it. As long as I had something to do as far away as possible from them, I was ok. But, things started goin' **_FUBAR_** and I couldn't just overlook it. Feeling a little fucked up too, cause I left a friend behind. Pretty sure the job is gonna be the death of her."

Max gave him a questioning look as he finished his drink and refilled.

"Why not take her with you? She's obviously somewhat important to you."

"I tired, Max. But she's literally programmed for what she does. Can't defy the program. Told her I'd help her out, get shit sorted if she came along, but no-go."

"So, you came here hoping to drink yourself stupid and hope to avoid the nightmare of failure. That's pretty weak, Berserker Brav."

Brav slowly sunk back into his seat, not showing his surprise at the barkeep saying his actual name, and let one hand move towards the holstered pistol on his hip. Max chuckled, taking another drink and never looking away.

"You really are painfully predictable, son. If I was gonna out you, I'd've done it already. Wasn't always a bartender. Did my time in the War. The Five got the better of me, so I AWOL'd first chance. I've seen you in action long before you thrashed those creeps messing with Lessa when you first came in here."

"You fought in The Five?" Brav relaxed some and put his hand back on the table, looking Max over for any hint of recognition. There was none.

"Yep. Former Sergeant 2nd Class. Demo-Infil Unit. Cloak & Dagger Company under Andromeda Darkhood, who was a Lieutenant 3rd class at the time."

This time Brav couldn't hide his shock.

"You were C&D during The Five?! I don't remember any 'Max' with that company."

"Changed the name a bit when I left the Nihilists. I was Maxsis Ulhoff, but that was a different life. After the Void Drops, I jumped ship. Couldn't stomach the thought of mass extinction as a tool to win a battle. I was stationed in Utah on The Day. Saw a lot of good men die. A lot of innocent lives as well and fought through the 'Obey' programming to get the hell out. Found someone smarter than myself, paid a nice bit and got myself some free will. Best decision I ever made."

"Well... Knew I couldn't've been the only one. How the hell did you stay off the radar? Keeping outta Null's sight ain't easy."

"Had my XID and IFF transponders removed along with the Obey program. I knew I'd be tracked once they realized I was gone, so priority one was make sure there was nothing to track. After that it was pretty easy to avoid the Armada." Max finished his glass and poured another. "My turn for a question. How's my old commanding officer doing?"

Brav stopped his hand in mid drink, his mind suddenly realizing he hadn't been prepared for the question. Max noticed the hesitation and his eyes grew hard.

"She's the 'friend' you left behind. What happened?"

Brav sighed again and recounted the tale of Andromeda's imprisonment for abandoning Kay to Zero, and Kay's extreme condition because of it. At the mention of Zero, it was Max's turn to be shocked.

" **THE** Zero? Like Maverick Wars and Legendary Hunter? **THAT** Zero?"

"Unless you know about some other long blonde haired, red armored Maverick slayer, yeah. That Zero. She did what assassins do: eliminated the target and got the hell out before the shootin' started. Null didn't take too kindly to it and tossed her brig side, after bustin' her down to a Sarge Deuce."

"Crazy bitch. Well, you got a plan for getting the Cap out? Knowing you, you're not gonna rest till you do."

Brav shook his head and drained his glass again. Although Max was correct in his assessment, Brav had nothing solidly formed in his head to get Andromeda out. Max smiled, a sly grin that made Brav curious and slightly uneasy for some reason.

"How about working for me while you figure it out? You need 'honest work' to keep up your funds and I could use a bouncer."

"You're kidding, right?" Brav asked almost incredulously. Max shook his head with a serious look on his face.

"You need a source of information that constant and current. Won't find a better one than a bar. I get Imperium soldiers in here all the time running their mouths. And you'd be surprised at how many Armada guys swing in here incognito. I'll gather intel as much as possible and relay it back if it's pertinent, you'll get paid to beat the hell outta rowdy individuals. I'd say that's a win/win for you."

"Um, kinda 'Wanted' by The Imperium **AND** the Nihilists Max."

Max scoffed and waved a hand at the argument.

"Dye your hair. Re-digitize your eyes. Re-modulate your voice. No one's gonna pay close attention to the guy watching the door, Brav. Trust me here. Beside, you already said you **DON'T** have a plan. Here's a plan. And it's better that the nada you have."

The pair sat in quiet for a while and just drank while Brav mulled it over. Max was right, it was a sound set-up and he **DID** need a way to keep the funding coming in. Mercenary work paid well, but even in this troubled climate work wasn't guaranteed and the risk of discovery by one side or the other was high. The bottle Max brought over was running low as Brav made his decision.

"You got a deal, old man. My service isn't exactly 'cheap' but I think we can come to a happy medium on weekly rates."

"Don't worry about the money 'Rav'. I can handle that. Worry about the important things, like the friend you wanna spring. Come back tomorrow evening, around 7, to start. Mid-week is high military volume."

Max extended his hand and Brav shook it as the barkeep began to get up from the booth. Brav reached into his pocket and pulled out two 50's to pay for the drinks, but Max waved them away stating this session was on the house and to give it to someone who could actually use it before he walked back to the bar. Brav chuckled at the comment and his eyes immediately found Lessa milling about serving patrons. She smiled as she noticed him looking and held up a hand to let him know she'd be right over. She was always here, open to close, working hard to make an honest living, and Brav figured who more deserving? She was also easy on the eyes, and that didn't hurt matters either _. 'Maybe...'_ he thought, _'This won't be all bad.'_ As Lessa made her way over she smiled sweetly as she always did, making her green eyes seem brighter in the dark. Brav slid the 50's onto her serving tray with a smile of his own as the look of shock came over her face.

"Guess who's gonna be your new fellow employee?"

A/N: Not much here but it's a leader into other things. Hope you all enjoy it. Please, leave some more reviews. Good, bad, indifferent. Don't matter to me. Every opinion, like & dislike helps the process. Until the next chapter.


	18. Chapter 17- Hero Shattered

**Me: Welcome back everyone. Just past the halfway mark. Thanks for stayin' with it.**

 **Zero: Hey, author-type, not happy.**

 **Me: (sigh) What did I do now?**

 **Zero: What kind of 'worse shape' am I in? Samuel was a bit cryptic and I don't like that.**

 **Me: No spoilers. You'll find out soon enough.**

 **Zero: You do realize I could just beat you down and make you tell me, right?**

 **Me: Yes. But I'm pretty sure SHE wouldn't be too happy with you. (Points over Zero's shoulder to Iris)**

 **Zero: You're an ass, Sypher. You know that right?**

 **Me: Yup. Disclaimer, good sir.**

 **Zero: (sigh) Sypher owns nothing but the story and its OC's. MMX related items are Capcom's. You better not be making a mess of things.**

 **Me: You'll find out soon enough. ~he's gonna be pissed!~**

Chapter 17- Hero Shattered

 **"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN MY FAIL-SAFES ARE FRIED!?"** Zero roared as Samuel showed him the data readouts from his systems.

"Your last Mode Switch did irreparable damage to the Fail-Safe Sub-System. It literally burnt out the entire system. I don't understand it either, as there was no indications from your capsule or Systems Check that suggested any issues. I personally assume it was a freak overload from the Omega transformation. In any case, you're gonna have to be cautious in combat situations now. Conserve power when possible by refraining from use of Special Attack systems and do more retreating. This'll help prevent a situation from arising."

"Are you kidding right now, Doctor? The Armada just made a major move and you're telling me to back off? And how, exactly, am I supposed to help end this war if I'm sidelined?"

Zero was seething, more with his failing body than anything else. However, his rage was unfocused and he aimed it at whoever placed them self near it. Unfortunately, Roto made himself a target by speaking next.

"No one said 'sidelined', Boss. Just need to take it easy an' keep safe"

"Oh, and how should I go about that? I'm a fighter! A Warrior! I don't skulk around in the shadows avoiding the fight! Do I **LOOK** like an Infiltrator?!"

Almost immediately after the words had left his mouth, Zero regretted saying them. He saw Roto's jaw go slack for a split second. The unintended insult had cut him deep, but he collected himself quickly and gazed back at Zero with equal parts fury and hurt.

"Wow... That was kinda harsh and reeked of assholeism. You may not see it, but we're tryin' to look out for **YOU**. And, ya know, the rest of the world. I get that this complicates things, but that's no reason to be a total dick to your friends."

"Roto, I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever, man. I get it. You only respect those who throw themselves head-first into the fight, without care or reason. Maybe that's why X had to put you back together more than once. Think on that. I'm gonna go clear my head."

Roto stalked out of the workshop, his obvious hurt permeating the air. Zero looked around at everyone in his guilt. Cordelia had buried her attention in a terminal monitor as soon as Zero's outburst started and never looked away. Avery was aimlessly fiddling with random parts on a workbench, completely unsure of what they were but keeping himself as far from Zero's wrath as possible. Samuel and Iris both stared at him in disbelief at his hard words towards Roto and Samuel shook his head before joining Cordelia at her terminal. Iris walked over to him and unloaded a slap that cracked loudly across his cheek.

"What is **WRONG** with you?! That Infiltrator jab was completely uncalled for. Roto is kind and brave and you needlessly lash out at him for how he's designed?"

"It came out wrong." Zero defended himself while rubbing his stinging cheek. "I didn't mean HIM specifically."

"That doesn't make it better! Go and fix this now. And don't talk to me until you do."

"What? But..." Zero stammered, but Iris held up a hand to stop him.

"There's a couch in our quarters that you can rest your head on until you make this right. Understand?"

The fire in her eyes left no question that she meant what she said and with a sigh Zero nodded and responded with a slightly depressed " _Yes, ma'am_ " before heading out to find the younger Reploid. Although Zero didn't know where Roto would go to 'clear his head' the Reploid's fiery retort to the insult gave him a place to start. Descending to Level B4, which had been excavated by the Imperium extras sent in, Zero arrived at the Training Center.

The entire floor was devoted to sharpening both physical and mental skills and divided into three sections. The first was a series of classroom-like areas where one could use terminals to take various quizzes to enhance mental reaction time, problem solving and logistical reasoning skills. Zero remembered spending some hours there during the Maverick Wars, trying to better prepare for Sigma's various mind games and destabilizing quiets between large assaults. _'Maybe I should've spent_ _ **MORE**_ _time there. Would probably be more patient_.' he thought.

The next section was the gymnasium/obstacle course. Zero had fond remembrances of hours spent there, and had even reworked some of the course to increase its difficulty. At first only he had be able to reach the goal line, but eventually X had also made it along with a few other Elite Hunters. None of them, however, had beaten his best time and he wondered if that was still the case. He'd have to find out later as this section, like the classroom section before, was unoccupied. Realizing his hunch about where Roto had gone was correct, Zero made his way to Section 3.

The final area on the floor was the Holo-Combat Arena. Zero had insisted that the Imperium techs get the place up to spec immediately after they unearthed this level. It was the tool any and all aspiring Hunters would use to hone their combat prowess in real-time. Capable of projecting Hard-Light holograms, the system was uploaded with the data of many of the Hunters fallen foes, and some Elite Hunters as well, allowing for simulated combat scenarios. With adjustable difficulties, one could simply spar with an opponent or dive into full throttle combat. Safety Programs built into the chamber itself didn't allow for anyone to be destroyed inside, but a hologram set to 100% could do hard, physical damage that could send you to the repair wards quickly via an Emergency Teleport. As a rule, no one could use the chamber at 100% without having a second in the Control Room to monitor the situation and end the program immediately in a serious case, as at maximum the holograms wouldn't deactivate.

Zero looked through the window into the arena and spotted Roto squaring off against three very familiar faces causing him to rush into the Control Room. Checking the readouts, Zero saw that the holograms were set to 50%, which meant if Roto's levels dropped below 45% the program would Auto-Terminate for safety purposes. As Zero monitored the battle, he was certain that the younger Reploid had engaged the program with these parameters for just that reason. Because in the area with him was Sigma, Vile and Colonel, three of the toughest combat sims uploaded into the system. Sitting down in the Control chair, Zero shook his head and let the situation unfold.

Boxed in by the trio, Roto had armed himself with a wicked looking dagger and his Buster. Vile moved first unloading with his Arm Vulcan while advancing. Roto juked and dodged away from most of the shots with amazing speed, dropping into a sliding sweep that caught the purple Maverick and dropped him hard directly into the path of Roto's Buster shot. The blast sent Vile skidding across the arena floor and away, but had left Roto open to a huge kick from Sigma that tossed the green armored Reploid into a powerful uppercut slash from Colonel. Quickly recovering in the air, Roto spun his Buster to Sigma and unloaded three more shots which the large Maverick easily evaded, but allowed Roto to toss several Napalm Grenades at his feet which exploded in blue flaming fury in his face.

Landing, Roto dashed at Colonel firing as he closed the gap between them. The skilled sword of the Repliforce officer deflected the shots and intercepted Roto's blade as he got close enough to use it. They exchanged a furious series of blows before Colonel parried Roto to the side and lashed him with kick that left him open to the incoming Plasma Shot from Vile's Shoulder Cannon. Roto tumbled away from Colonel only to be caught by Sigma once more, the Maverick's usual Saber becoming two and blazing the unfortunate Roto with several heavy slashes. A warning flashed in Roto's HUD exclaiming armor integrity was down to 66% and Energy Levels were near 50%. Gritting his teeth, Roto leapt into the air once more and tossed a large spread of explosives down at his foes.

Sigma jumped back, but two Sticky Grenades caught him and exploded, sending the Maverick Overlord flying into a wall. Vile tried dashing under the spread, but found himself caught by Proximity Charges and was enveloped in flames. Colonel's Saber cut down several of the explosives, but he too was caught in the spread as he cut through three EM Shock grenades and unleashed electrifying fury throughout his body. Roto landed again and fired at Vile his Buster finally doing the job and shattering the hologram, the programs way of simulating defeat. Rushing towards the still writhing Colonel, Roto struck out with several quick and powerful slashes with his dagger that drove Colonel back until the more skilled sword countered and disarmed the dagger. " ** _SHIT_**!" Roto exclaimed as his blade went flying and Colonel delivered a sidekick that sent him careening towards Sigma's crushing blades, driving him to the floor.

Suddenly the arena lights started flashing orange, followed by a computerized voice booming out **_'Safety Protocol Engaged. Program Terminated_** '. The two holograms faded away, leaving a battered Roto to lay quietly and catch his breath. Zero remained in the Control Room with a sympathetic wince on his face. Although Roto was bested in the end, he'd put up more of a fight against three of the five most difficult sims in the training program. All in all, Zero was impressed and even more ashamed of his earlier comment. Flipping a switch, Zero activated the arenas' PA system.

"You ok down there, kid?"

Roto jerked at the voice then raised a 'thumbs up', seeming to not have the strength to do much else. Zero couldn't help but chuckle.

"That was one helluva run. Rezzed Vile and almost had Colonel too. Impressive."

"For an Infiltrator, you mean?" Roto's voice sounded over the monitor speakers with much less sting then before.

"No. I mean in general. I'm pretty sure I'd get my ass handed to me in that kinda match up. Should I come get you or can you make it up here?"

"I'll be right up. The floor's nice an' comfy right now."

A moment later Roto entered the Control Room, his armor sporting some charring and sweat plastering his neon green hair to his forehead but otherwise looking unscathed. He dropped into another of the seats and connected to a charging port, sinking into the seat and looking at Zero with his usual goofy grin. Shaking his head and leaning forward with his forearms on his knees, Zero returned the grin.

"Roto, I'm sorry for what I said before. It came out badly and very much wasn't meant to slight you in any way. The last thing you are is weak. And you damn sure aren't a coward."

"Listen, Boss, like I said before: I get it. I understand that powerless feeling. It sucks knowin' there's nothin' you can do. Been there. But, you can keep going, just gotta tone it down an' leave the heavier liftin' to your support. Me an' Av'll be joining you from now on, just in case."

"I appreciate it, Roto. Speaking of Avery, how's his training coming along?"

"Great, actually. So far he's taken out a maxed Chill Penguin and Sting Chameleon, an 80% Flame Mammoth, Spark Mandrill, Slash Beast and Jet Stingray. An' finally, one of those dragon mechaniloids at 65%. The kid's gettin' good."

Zero's eyebrows raised in admiration as Roto listed off the young soldiers' training kills. Avery was indeed getting better, and he would need all that skill in the near future as Zero was certain things would be getting harder. Shaking away the thoughts of war he wrapped his arm around Roto's shoulders and started walking towards the exit.

"I think I owe you a drink after that session. Let's see if the Mess has anything worthwhile."

Samuel was face deep in the monitor, equations and schematics dominating his view as he worked fervently on the Upgrade Capsule. Cordelia was tuning the Capsule itself, adjusting it as Samuel specified when he pulled away from the screen. Iris and Avery had retrieved several sets of blueprints and data cards from the containment area to assist the pair, but because neither had any technical background they couldn't do much more.

It had been almost three weeks since Samuel and the others had come to the base and, aside from a few breaks, he'd been working on the Capsule full time and made little headway in completing it. Frustration finally set in and he slammed his fists into the desk causing the monitor, and the others, to jump. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as another headache threatened to overtake him.

"I don't understand. **EVERYTHING** is according to specification. Why won't the program hold?"

Cordelia approached him slowly, her eyes glancing at the numerous windows of information being displayed. According to what she saw, everything **WAS** in place. Armor and Weapons upgrade was complete. The enhanced sensor suite was optimized and ready to install. And the Primary Drivers and Sub Routines were fully functional. However, the Purge coding meant to delete the Omega personae wasn't activating or would fail less than halfway through the testing simulations. As this was the primary goal of the Upgrade, Cordelia understood the doctors' frustrations and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe you should step away from this for a little while, Doctor. You've run over 100 simulations in the last hour, with almost as many modifications. Staring it down won't help. You need some fresh air. Some food wouldn't hurt either."

Samuel sighed, continuing to fend off the headache.

"I'm ok, Cordelia. It just doesn't make any sense. It's like the Omega personality is FIGHTING the Purge off physically. But, again, that doesn't make sense because it's a dormant sub routine."

"Is it though?" Avery asked.

Everyone turned to look at the young Reploid, who immediately blushed from all the sudden attention and tried to busy himself with something to get everyone's eyes off him. Samuel, however, rotated his chair and gazed at him fully.

"Explain, Avery." Iris said.

' _Me and my big mouth...'_ Avery thought, then sighed before responding. "What if Omega isn't **JUST** a program buried inside Zero's systems? We all know that was his original programming and 'Zero' was a masking reprogram. What if Omega **IS** fighting off the adjustments because he's **ACTUALLY** much more sentient then we think? Zero always says that he's constantly fighting a battle to keep him at bay. Maybe that's less metaphorical then we assume."

Samuel's eyes went wide in realization and he slapped himself in the forehead, immediately regretting it as his headache struck back.

"Avery, you're a genius! I've been treating Omega as a regular program this whole time, when I should've been treating him as an aggressive artificial intelligence. Of course he would fight back against what's effectively his 'death'."

Samuel spun back to the monitor and began typing furiously, a new set of algorithms appearing. Cordelia, Iris and Avery stood behind him watching as his fingers flew across the keys, strings of data and coding replacing older information. After a handful of minutes, Samuel hit the 'E _xecute_ ' key and started another simulation run. They all watched as the status bar slowly rose from 0 to 85% before the ' _Failure Imminent'_ screen appeared. Samuel smiled and sat back once more. Iris tilted her head in confusion at the doctors' expression.

"I don't understand why your happy at this turnout Doctor. The Upgrade still failed."

"Yes it did, but it failed at 85%. The others simulations never made it past 20. All I need to do now is find the **EXACT** sequence that can override Omega's positronic thought process. It may take some time, but now that I'm treating him as a conscience threat, as opposed to a program I'm pretty sure we can scrub him out completely. Someone should go find Zero and tell him to come back so I can ask him some questions. A little more information from him should help."

Iris dutifully left the workshop and headed off to find Zero, while Samuel continued his work. Cordelia gave Avery a nod and also went back to adjusting the capsule, making tweaks according to the data. With nothing to do, Avery decided to head to the Training Center and brush up on some tech subject matter. After his longshot idea he figured he could be more useful if he knew more and, stating his intent, left the scientists to their work.

"That was brilliant on his part." Samuel said without looking up.

"Yes, it was. Why didn't we think of it sooner?"

"Because we weren't viewing Zero and Omega as separate entities. We were treating Omega as a virus or dormant sub routine when we should've been focusing on the fact that he's almost symbiotic with Zero. What I have to do now is clone his physical structure as part of the upgrade and reformat it to function as part of Zero. Because, although they are similar, Zero and Omega aren't identical. It'll be a vast overhaul on the Upgrades' configuration, but with the same results. Adjust Acceleration Unit 22-F by 14ghz."

Cordelia did as Samuel asked then joined him as he called her over to watch another sim. This time the status made it to 88% before crashing and the doctor went back to work. Cordelia couldn't help but be impressed with the Human's dedication to this issue and felt bad about the topic change she was about to introduce.

"Doctor Mavris. I'm sorry to spring this on you now, but as we've not had a lot of time lately to talk..."

Samuel stopped in mid key stroke and spun his chair to face her, a very familiar look in his eyes.

"You're having the nightmares again?"

She nodded, unable to voice the dark dreams for fear they would manifest in the waking world.

"They've been bad lately. Ever since we got here, actually. I've tried readjusting my recharge patterns to see if that would help, but no dice. And I know you've said that it's a form of PTSD from my war experience, but it seems different than that now. I feel like I'm experiencing someone else's life like it's mine. But the bad part is, I'm still experiencing my own life in conjunction."

"Personality Displacement. Your mind has created a second reality that's attempting to subjugate your own. Tell me about it."

"It's the same event: the last Day of The Five. I'm with my unit, evac'ing and then suddenly I'm grounded and heavily damaged. I can feel everything shutting down and... Pain. Fiery pain all over, then I'm running again towards the dropship, but all of the pain is still there. All my indicators are screaming shut down, but I'm unscathed. As I hit the deck of the ship my vision goes red and blurs out, replaced by static filled voices and sketchy, hard to see figures talking about rebuilding me and I'm gonna be ok. But the oddest thing in all of it is this feeling of leaving someone behind."

"Someone? Like a fellow soldier?"

"No. Like a family member. Someone who was still alive and would be devastated by my loss. But that makes absolutely no sense to me. I'm a stand-alone unit. I wasn't created with siblings, so..."

"Trauma of the sort you experienced would account for the strange displacement of physical locations and conditions you're describing. But, I'll run a few tests on your neuro-relays and memory center and see if I can puzzle it out. That is, if you want me to."

"I'd appreciate it, Doctor. But, when there's time. Right now, we have a more pressing matter to attend to."

Days passed as the research continued, each day bringing the capsule closer to completion. The Armada had been quiet since the attack meaning, aside from some small skirmishes, no further incidents of extreme violence had broken out. After giving Samuel a full report concerning Omega, Zero and Iris hid themselves away to just enjoy each other's company. Roto and Avery had spent most of their free time in the Training Center, honing skills both mental and physical. And Cordelia, as usual, had remained with Samuel to assist him. They had also found time to talk and run several diagnostics. Although the doctor had said he could find nothing out of the ordinary, Cordelia's nightmare continued. Samuel noticed it very clearly one day as she was so distracted in thought she over torqued a bolt on the capsule, immediately causing a shower of sparks to rain on the pair.

"Oh shit! Doctor, I'm so sorry..."

"It's fine. I think, maybe, you should get some rest."

Cordelia sighed. "I wish I could. I haven't had a good night's sleep in days. Maybe I should just purge my memories from then. This is really starting to hinder me."

"That's a **BIG** purge. It might cause a memory gap that's just as bad as the nightmares."

"I know. But it's getting to the point where I wouldn't mind being blank. It has to better than this."

"I think you need to get away from here for a little while. Maybe see if you can steal Iris away for a few hours and have a 'Girls Night'. Might help get your mind off of all this turmoil."

Cordelia's face brightened more than Samuel had seen in weeks.

"That's a **GREAT** idea, Doctor. But, what about the research?"

Samuel waved his hand dismissively.

"I can handle running sims and making adjustments. Go. When's the last time you had another female around to bond with? You've been stuck with a stuffy human scientist and hyperactive jester for years who don't understand you completely. I'm sure Iris would be thrilled to have some 'girl time' with you. Get out of here and go have fun."

Cordelia smiled at Samuel and waved as she left the workshop in search of Iris. Samuel rubbed his temples as a sad smile came to his face. ' _I'm sorry, Cordelia. I wish I would've handled your rebuild differently...'_ Shaking away the thoughts of actions past, Samuel returned to his work plagued only slightly by how he had handled piecing that shattered being back together.

Later that day, Cordelia and Iris set out for Neon City. Zero hadn't been excited to let them go alone, but Iris had told him they'd be fine and were more that capable of handling themselves should the need arise. After they left, Roto came to Zero and proposed a Guys Night. Skeptical at first, Zero gave in as Roto explained that it would serve dual purposes. The first, and obvious, being some down time away from the confines of the base. The second, and more subtle reason, was that they could be in the city as well just in case something happened.

"Better off right where they'd need us, right? 'Sides, Avery could use a manly experience like a bar brawl or somethin'."

Just before nightfall the trio headed out. Zero opted on the hoverbike they'd confiscated from Brav while Roto and Avery took a two-seater transport that arrived shortly after the Imperium had settled in to help with the base. It took a little over an hour at top speed to reach the city and they parked in a structure near the entrance gates, deciding to walk around for a bit before heading anywhere.

Zero was impressed at how quickly the repairs from the attack, only days prior, had been handled. Roto noticed him looking around.

"It's one of the good thing about the Imperium: they clean up quick. Can't have too much havoc, or else folks start feelin' unsafe."

Zero couldn't help but agree as they walked around, most of the reconstruction still in progress but nearly finished. They checked out a couple of shops, mostly new-age clothes and armor accessory places, before Roto suggested finding somewhere to sit down and get a couple of drinks. Zero and Avery let him lead the way, as neither had spent as much time in Neon City as him. Roto said they had a few good choices, whether upscale or dive was their choice. Zero had said nothing too obnoxious while Avery thought a small, quiet place would be best. Roto grinned and walked them over to a holo-map of the city, highlighting an area in the Alundara District.

"The Max Torque. Cool little spot. Out of the way and quiet. Good atmo, great drinks."

Hopping in a taxi the trip took less than ten minutes and Roto led the party down a flight of stairs into the Torque. They were greeted by the hostess/waitress, Lessa, and shown to a booth. Zero looked around at the interior of the place gauging both the potential for attack and the darkened decor choice. He couldn't help but think that the Torque would've been an optimal target for a raid back in the Hunter days. Fingers snapping in his face brought Zero back to the now as Roto's foolish grin again filled his face.

"Don't keep the good lady waiting, Cheif."

Zero's cheeks reddened slightly as he offered his apologies and ordered a house lager. Lessa smiled at them and scuttled away to fill their order. Avery looked around the bar, much the same as Zero had, his shoulders seeming slightly more tense than earlier. Roto rolled his eyes at the pair.

"Would you two just fuckin' relax? We're here to chill and have a good time and you two are gazin' around like a couple a militants lookin' to bust someone. Old Max over there don't let the unsavory in here. It's 'down time', remember? So, power down the combat protocols."

Avery's posture eased while Zero just shook his head. Lessa returned with their drinks a moment later, two neon orange concoctions in tall glasses and a dark amber brew in a stout mug. Placing the atomic orange drinks in front of Roto and Avery and the beer before Zero, Lessa gave a little nod before scuttling off to attend her other duties. Zero couldn't help but stare at the drinks in front of his companions.

"What the **HELL** is that?" he asked, his tone suggesting a note about the drinks' safety.

"An Omega Buster. House special." Roto informed him.

"Wow... They named a drink after the most destructive force this world has ever seen? I'm almost scared to know what the hangover feels like with a name like that."

Roto laughed as he sipped his drink, a look of satisfaction crossing his face. Both Zero and Roto laughed as Avery took a sip and his face screwed up tight and he began to cough. "We got a rookie at the table!", Roto jeered. For the next few hours things were good as the 'boys' enjoyed drinks, food and overall merriment. Roto and Avery pressed Zero for stories from the Maverick Wars, most of which included X and the old Hunters. One of the stories had the pair in stitches of laughter as Zero told them of a prank he and Alia had played on X.

"You did **NOT**." Roto exclaimed.

"I swear. It wasn't meant to go as far as it did, but Alia had a brilliant plan. I couldn't resist."

"But, **ALL** of his armor?" Avery asked through his laughing.

"Every piece. We scattered them all over the base while he was showering. And with a little hacking on Alia's part, he was locked out of his room. It was hilarious to watch him bumble around the base in a towel looking for his clothes and armor."

"Wow... Just, wow. I thought **WE** pranked hard in Deep Six, but we got **NOTHIN'** on that."

"X was good about it. And, eventually, got his revenge."

"Oh no... What did he do?" asked Avery, his words beginning to slur a bit as the drinks took hold.

"Had Douglas reconfigure my Saber. Every time I'd activate it, it hit me with a low voltage pulse charge. Numbed my whole arm the first time. And seeing as Douglas was part of the charade, everytime I went to get it checked out he'd tell me nothing was wrong. He'd deactivate the mod chip, ignite the saber to show me, reactivate the chip and hand it back. Luckily for the few days this went on, nothing Major was happening."

The trio laughed hardy, Roto and Avery because they'd found out that even Zero could be gotten. Zero laughed at the fond remembrance of his brother and the escapades they'd enjoyed together in between the chaos. Zero decided to give Iris a call after checking the time. He told Roto to order another round while he stepped outside then thought better of it for Avery, as the poor boy was plenty intoxicated. "Get him a water." he said as he made his way to the exit. It had gotten cooler out since they'd arrived, the breeze was gentle yet invigorating compared to the slightly stale air inside, and Zero basked in it for a moment before activating his ear-piece. Iris picked up almost immediately, her cheerful tone bringing a smile to his face.

"Hey! What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing much. Me and the boys decided if you girls get a night off, we should too."

"Really? And what did 'you boys' do? Hopefully stayed out of trouble." Iris giggled.

"Yeah. Decided to come to the city and meander about. Had some drinks and heading back to base shortly. How's the outing on your end?"

"Great! Cordelia and I went shopping. I think you're going to like some of my purchases. We're finishing up dinner now then heading back ourselves. Maybe we can all head in together."

"Well, you can ride with me. But unless Cordelia doesn't mind outriding in a gunner seat, there may be a space issue with the transport. Roto grabbed a two-seat when we left."

Zero heard Iris confer with Cordelia, who's response didn't come over the comm, but when Iris replied it seemed that her nightly companion had no qualms with the nature of the gunner seat. Setting up a meet time and place, Zero said his farewell and started to head back inside when he caught sight of a black clad man near the entrance looking his way. Although Zero couldn't place his face, he did note a look of challenge in his dark red eyes.

"Something I can help you with?" Zero asked, his tone suggesting he'd be more than willing to accept this strangers' challenge. It wasn't until the man spoke that Zero realized the situation he was in.

"Yeah, blondie. You can suit up for Round 2, cause I owe you an ass whoppin'!"

Zero leapt to the side a second before the man fired off the pistol he'd been concealing, the shot narrowly missing his head. Quickly armoring up, Zero drew his Saber and set into a defensive position as his opponent followed suit, the familiar red and yellow armor of Brav replacing the black suit he'd just been wearing. Zero grinned a feral smile.

"So, the Armada pieced you back together? I was hoping I smashed enough of your processors that you'd be down and out."

"You got lucky, Red. I wasn't in a state of mind to handle you. Luckily, got myself some upgrades and a clear head this time." Brav responded, the fire in his voice burned with confidence. Holstering his pistol and drawing his blade, Brav returned Zero's grin. "Let's settle this."

Zero leapt forward and their blades crashed in a fury of buzzing and sparkling light. They matched each other's attacks with precision and graceful technique, Brav fending off the speed of Zero's flurries while Zero managed the reach and power advantage offered to Brav by his Broadsword. Their duel left the ground as the pair began to wall-jump and strike at each other from aerial positions. Brav attempted to reach for his pistol once more, but Zero lashed the gun with his Saber quickly destroying it. Undeterred, Brav snatched Zero by his chest plate and spun him into the wall, grinding him back down to the ground and kicking him square driving Zero further into the bricks. Grunting from the blow, Zero lifted his legs and planted them into Brav's chest and ignited his Boosters, sending the Maverick flying into the opposite wall and causing his blade to fall from his hands which Zero took advantage of and unloaded several quick slashes into his armor.

Brav countered the last slash with a viscous uppercut, catching Zero under the chin and lifting him off his feet enough for Brav to unload a spin kick that returned Zero to the indent his body made in the other wall. Before he could recover, Brav shoulder charged him, took hold of his arm and flipped him over his own shoulder and to the ground, Zero hitting the floor with such force that his vision blurred. It cleared in time for him to catch the stomping foot of Brav and roll to the side, twisting Brav's leg and dropping him to the ground as well. Zero fired off a blast from his Z-Buster catching the Maverick as he began to stand, the energy blast having the desired effect of pushing its target back and giving Zero pervious seconds to recover.

Checking his HUD, Zero noticed his Armor Integrity was down to 50% and his Energy Levels were just over 60. Whatever upgrades Brav had implemented were having the desired outcome, as Zero knew he couldn't keep this up much longer. Gritting his teeth and charging once more, Zero went for broke unleashing one of his most powerful combos against Brav. Starting with the dashing Shippūga that gouged deep into his opponents' armor, Zero followed up with light-to-medium horizontal strikes from right to left. A heavy overhead slash was next which further staggered and left Brav open to a powerful Ryūenjin leaping upper slash. Already airborne, Zero kicked his Boosters in to gain greater height in an attempt to crash down on Brav with the deadly Hyouretsuzan Ice Blade. Unfortunately, Brav had recovered much quicker than anticipated and slammed his fist into the ground as Zero was about to make contact unleashing his Kinetic Wave attack which shattered the frozen blade and threw Zero through the nearest wall. Zero HUD blared with Critical Warnings as he attempted to pull himself upright. The power drain from his attacks, coupled with the devastating impact from Brav's counter had left him nearly depleted. His vision was blurring between normal and red as Brav stood over him.

"Ya know, after you beat me down so bad, I lost a bit of confidence. Thought maybe I wasn't as tough as I assumed. But now I see your win was a fluke. I wasn't on point, and caught a foul one for it. Enjoy your time getting patched up, cause it looks like you're fucked up real bad."

Before Zero could form a retort, Roto came outside.

"What the Hell's takin' so... Oh **SHIT**!"

Quickly Framing Up, Roto took aim at Brav causing him to chuckle and shift his arm into its Plasma Cannon mode.

"I'd stand down, neon wonder. If **HE** can't topple me, what the hell makes you think you can?"

"Wow... You Armada ass-wipes are all the same. Too bad you're dumb as shit an' have **NO CLUE** what the fuck you just did."

Brav laughed as he looked back at the heavily damaged Zero then back to Roto before noticing the green armored Reploid wasn't aiming at him but at Zero. His laughter quickly faded away.

"What are **YOU** doin', kid? He's banged up, but you're lookin' like you're ready to slag him. This the new Imperium protocol?"

"No, moron. You **DO** know who he is, right?"

"He's the 'Legendary' Zero. But I'm pretty sure that's a load of overhype."

"He's **ALSO** Omega. Ya know, the guy that turned General Kay into a scrap heap. Zero keeps that beast at bay, and now you fucked us all."

"You're kidding, right?" Brav scoffed. "I whupped his ass some, nothing too dramatic. He'll be fine in a few days."

"Again, not gettin' the big picture here. There were fail-safes in place to keep Omega checked. Those are **GONE**! Once he goes Crit, that's it, Omega Time! And he's not on **ANYONE'S** side here. We're A **LL** targets."

Roto reached up to his comm and called Samuel while Brav looked back to Zero who was now sparking and his armor was shifting between Crimson and Black.

"Gearshift to the Doc! We've got a Code OZ, repeat Code OZ! Need Emergency Beam Out ASAP! Activating Nav Beacon. Inform Hunter I an' Operator C of the situation."

Roto's comm crackled as Samuel responded.

"Shit! What the hell happened out there?"

"I'll explain later, just get us all back **NOW**! Zero's in Shift as we speak!"

Seconds later Roto and Zero were engulfed in teleportation energy and were gone, leaving Brav alone in the alley with a sinking feeling in his guts. Powering down his armor and dusting off his black suit, he shrugged. Nothing he could do about it now except wait. Walking down the stairs that led into the Torque, Max shouted " **YOU'RE LATE!"** causing Brav to chuckle.

"Had to handle something outside, old man. Or would you rather I trash the place some next time?"

"Shuddup and clock in. Just got jilted by a crew of guys. Beamed out without payin'."

"Put it on my tab, that's my fault. Had to rough up the blonde that was with them."

"Well, next time wait till they pay before you rough folks up. It's bad for business."

Brav thought about what Roto had said about Omega and quickly wondered if 'bad for business' was the least of their worries. Shaking it off he posted up by the door and tossed Lessa a smile and wink. 'Ill worry about The End when that bridge falls on me.'

Back at Hunter HQ, everyone was gathered in the workshop. Zero was inside the Capsule with it's safety and containment protocols on max. He looked to be asleep, yet his armor continued to shift between red and black every few minutes. Samuel, sitting at his terminal, broke the uneasy silence that had fallen over the room.

"Well, he managed to attempt a Manual System Shutdown. But because Omega was already in the process of activating, he only got into Standby Mode. I can't affect repairs or recharging while he's in this state, and if we let him wake up fully there's no way to stop the transformation."

"So what **CAN** we do?" Asked Iris, her concern unfiltered.

"Not much, really. Hopefully his self-repair will patch him up enough to cease the Critical System shutdown and help him fend Omega off. If not, our options are limited and distasteful, to say the least."

"Explain, Doctor." Iris said firmly.

"Option 1: I attempt to run the Upgrade and actively attempt to purge Omega in the process. That's extremely dangerous right now, as Omega is currently attempting to assert control. Battling a malicious AI of his caliber has never turned out well.

Option 2: Do nothing and hope he pulls through enough to repair him. After he's fixed up, however, he'll need to be lay down his weapon until we can update his fail-safe systems. And that's just as dangerous as fighting him. His 'warrior pride' is very strong.

Option 3: If we fail to contain Omega, we have to beam him as far away from civilization as possible and hope we can get that capsule to do its job properly. Once he turns, that's the only way we'd be able to get him back."

Silence once again descended upon the room and Iris walked over to the capsule, resting a hand on the protective glass. Samuel had been correct when he described their choices as 'distasteful' as there didn't seem to be an option where everything would turn out fine. Iris understood that this choice rested in her hands at the moment, and she wrestled with the notions of losing Zero to Omega or his own disappointment and rage. ' _You would tell me to do what's right and that the right choice is usually the hardest._ ' Making her decision, Iris turned to face her friends with uncertain determination in her eyes.

"Start the upgrade. Between yourself and Cordelia, I have faith that you can make it work. His self-repair hasn't kicked in yet, so you are his only chance."

"And if we fail?" Samuel asked solemnly.

"Then we beam him to the Antarctic. As far from civilization as possible, right? We'll worry about any other problems afterwards. Let's try to contain this one first."

Samuel nodded and took his place at the work station he'd occupied for the last few weeks, Cordelia taking the seat next to him, and activated the Upgrade Sequence. Beams of red-white light began to stream upwards from the capsules' floor filling it with an eerie glow as the program started. A status screen at the top right of the capsule began displaying several data readouts which included Weapons Augments, Armor Density Reconstruction, Sensor Enhancement and, finally, Purge Progression. All was quiet except for the rapid clacking of keyboard strokes and the gentle humming of the capsule as Iris, Roto and Avery kept a vigilant watch on the data feeds. Moments passed in this surreal silence until Zero's eyes popped open causing an alert from the data screen to start blinking. Iris looked from the screen to Zero in time to see that it wasn't his emerald eyes looking back, but the bloody crimson of Omega's.

"Shit! Omega's fighting back already! Cordelia, modify the equation by a factor of 12 and continue as fast as possible."

"Understood."

 _'No..._ ' Iris thought as dread started to fill her from head to toe, ' _You have to fight him, Zero. You can't let him win.'._ She approached the capsule once more and almost jumped back as those bloody eyes looked through her, a deep demonic chuckle emanating from Zero.

"You are all fools for not destroying me when you had the chance. He's gone, little girl. Lost to you forever now, but trapped and aware inside me. I'll kill you last. Very slowly as well so he can watch **EVERY** agonizing second helplessly."

This time Iris did step away, a horror and fear washing over her that she hadn't felt since her encounter with Zero on the Final Weapon. She'd always know of Omega and his capability, but she never knew that he possessed a true conscience that understood anything more than death. Hearing him speak through Zero was like listening to the Devil announce his intentions of Damnation, and it chilled Iris to the core. Before she could attempt to respond the beasts eyes shifted back to Zero's. His voice was strained as he spoke, the surest sign of the fatigue he was enduring in his struggle. He gazed at Iris sadly as though taking in the sight of her from his deathbed then turned to Roto.

"You...you gotta...end this...kid. C-charge your...your...Buster. Av-Avery...too. You...can't...let...him...escape...ARGHAHHHH!" The voice of Omega replaced Zero's once more. "Silence! Their time is close at hand, false being. These Armor enhancements will be more than enough to stop even the power of a Neutron blast."

"Doctor!?" Iris cried in panic

"He's cutting us off at every interval! We've barely gotten it past 30%! We've got until the Upgrades complete to Purge him. After that..."

Samuel left the statement open as reiterating the consequences were irrelevant at this juncture. Iris looked to the data feeds, her heart further sinking as she saw the Upgrade Progress was nearly complete. They had minutes, at best, before their efforts would be useless. Gathering her wits and will, Iris manned another terminal and began the Emergency Transport start up. Seconds later she had the coordinates in place and Zero's IFF signature coded for immediate transport. She could feel herself breaking inside, every second passed as a painful reminder of happier times that would be no more than memories. It was how she felt right before facing Zero after she'd learned about her brother's death and it was once again threatening to tear her apart. Glancing to the data screen once more only heightened this, as the upgrades were at 95% completion. Cordelia and Samuel's joint exclamation of "Fuck! No!" was the last thing she heard before jamming down the 'Execute' key which engulfed Zero, now fully overtaken by Omega, in brilliant light and teleported him away.

The capsule erupted in small popping bursts and sparks raining all throughout from the massive surge of power that shorted most of its systems. Iris heard nothing, though, as she fell from her seat and howled with sorrow as tears cascaded down her face. Cordelia sprung from her seat and scooped the Reploid into an embrace, trying to quell the almost violent shaking from sobs racking through her. No one spoke. There were no words that could express the dark turn of events. Zero was gone and, after a thousand years of imprisonment, The Destroyer God Omega had returned.

A/N: The mighty heroes fall. The Darkness shall spread like plague. Abandon All Hope Ye Who Read Here. Sorry it took so long to get another chapter out, been pretty busy with work and the family. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Still working my way through it and won't quit till it's done. As usual, please give it a Review after your read. All opinions, suggestions, comments and critiques are welcomed and appreciated. Until the next chapter folks.


	19. Chapter 18- Shadow of Worth

**Disclaimer: MMX and all related entities belong to Capcom. I claim no ownership. Story, Original Content and OC's belong to me.**

Chapter 18- Shadow of Worth

Kay stood at the window of his quarters watching the last vestiges of daylight burn away, casting shadows through the unlit room. It had been nearly a month since his encounter with Omega had left him in such a brutalized condition that he required massive rebuilds to over 85% of his physical systems and 60% of his Primary/Secondary Systems. Clenching the fist of the cybernetic replacement arm Kay growled deeply as it clicked and whirred loudly with his movements, audibly indicating the inferiority of the replacement limb. Kay had almost crushed the life from the medic when he'd awoken after seeing the garish nature of his repairs.

"What... Is... **THIS**?!" he barked as he snatched the smaller Reploid doctor's throat with his undamaged hand and lifted her from the floor. The doctor struggled and gasped in Kay's vice grip as she attempted to inform the general that they had taken most of their time repairing his delicate, and life sustaining, systems before starting the process of physical rebuild.

"We...were under orders...from the...Commander! She...she wanted you...functional immediately!" The flailing doctor choked out as Kay resisted the urge to slam her skull into a wall.

"You've had a **MONTH** to repair me! And the only suitable replacements I have are **ARCHAIC ROBOT APPENDAGES**?!" Kay begrudgingly released the doctor as his comm unit chimed and Null's voice summoned him to her study.

He noticed his mangled face in a steel wall as he departed the Med Floor and drove his good fist into the reflection, further distorting his now grizzly visage. He'd arrived at Null's study several moments later. It had taken a greater amount of time to traverse the halls due to a limp caused in part by his 'new' leg. Although he hadn't been sure of what his summons meant, Kay had spent his overly long walk formulating his resignation speech. He knew that he was no longer worthy of the rank General and fully expected Null to say as much. If she didn't, he was prepared to step down regardless as he felt he was no longer capable of his duties to the Armada or, more importantly, Null.

When he entered her study he noticed that Null was scanning him from head to toe as he limped forward and saluted before leaning heavily against a chair. She offered him a smile that any other day would've filled him with pride and power, but this day it only furthered his own distaste in his condition.

"Glad to see you back on your feet, General." She had greeted him in an uncharacteristically kind fashion, which Kay took as a bad sign instantly.

"Thank you, ma'am. Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near efficient operational capacity. I don't believe I will be for some time. Which is why I've decided to resign my commission as General."

"Resign? You do me an injustice, Kay. To what purpose are you relinquishing your post? Surely not your current, and might I add temporary, condition?"

"It's exactly that, ma'am. It's obvious that I'm incapable of my duties, as I'm now physically less than before. And although it's unproven as of yet, I'm not sure I'm mentally suited for task. The weak cannot lead. And, at this moment, I am weak. I cannot perform my duties as your personal guard either. I believe it to be in the best interests of the Armada that I give my command to someone able to adequately perform."

Kay would never forget the look of astonishment on Null's face. It was a look he'd never seen from her in all the years he served and it was enough to gouge deep into his heart. He knew he let her down, and that fact was more unsettling that his loss at Omega Zero hands. Her next words, however, would hurt him more than any physical or mental trauma could.

"So, you're a quitter? No drive to better the situation? No will to better your circumstances? I never pegged you as half-hearted, General. I always figured you to be the one to take your losses in stride and return stronger for the lesson. And, for that reason, I deny your request. You're better than you're allowing yourself due to injury. Dust off, MY General, and return stronger. If I ever see you wallowing in self-pity again, I'll grant your request as you break my faith in you... As well as my heart. Dismissed."

Unable to formulate a response, or any cohesive words for that matter, Kay had saluted Null once more and limped away back to his quarters. And now, in the final moments of daylight as he stared out his window, Kay came to understand what Null had meant. Marred and broken he may be, but he was still Kay the Ever-Flame, Nihilist Inferno and General of the Armada's Legions. ' _I thank you, Commander, for reminding me of my place.' T_ urning from the window with head high, Kay exited his quarters and made his way towards the elevator with the thought of tying up a final loose end in this whole debacle.

Descending towards the Detention Levels he exited early, looking for an individual who could help him solve his problem. Unfortunately, as he rounded a corner, he found himself in the presence of Cyrus. One of the remaining Elites, he was a zealot of the Omega Prophecy. ' _Why ANYONE would program Faith into a Reploid built for War I'll never understand.'_ Kay thought sourly. Cyrus' next words only deepened his distaste for the acolyte, Kay drawing upon every fiber of his officer's decorum not to smash him into the walls.

"General! **HE** spared your life... You have garnered **HIS** blessing in **HIS** return! Rejoice-"

"Cyrus! Normally I'd let you rant on about Omega's Glory, however, today my time as well as my patience is limited. And, personally, I don't feel 'blessed' or 'graced'. So, unless you've got something other than babble for me, I'll be excusing you from my presence."

Cyrus grinned at the larger Reploid and bowed slightly before stepping to the side.

"Forgive me, General. I forgot then you are among the non-believers. Even after you've witnessed His Return and His Power. **HE** spared you. You will see that there was a reason and that He has a plan for you. Good evening to you."

Cyrus slid past Kay towards the elevator, casting a final look back before the doors closed and he was gone. Kay huffed in annoyance as he continued down the corridor in search of someone rooted in logic, reasoning and sanity. Rounding a corner he found someone perfectly fitting those traits, even if his archaic attire of Stetson hat and desert duster Longcoat said otherwise. As Kay approached the Reploid gave a hat tip and quick salute.

"General." He said in a very rustically accented voice.

"Edaan. I require your assistance."

"A mission? Please tell me it's a mission, sir." Edaan asked eagerly.

"Nothing major, Chief. As you can see, my mobility isn't up to par. I need you to head down to Detention and retrieve Darkhood's cloak for me."

"Her cloak, sir? If you don't mind a question: why?"

"That's not relevant at the moment." Kay said matter-of-factly, pondering for a second if a reprimand was needed. Edaan, however, simply nodded then gave Kay an almost nervous glance. Kay saw the gears turning behind Edaan's eyes and knew the soldier wanted to ask him about his encounter. Growing to himself, Kay glared before speaking.

"Spit it out, Chief. It's obvious you have something you'd like to say."

"You know I'm not the god-fearin' type, but Cyrus has been clamoring about Omega's return since they started patching you up. I wanna know if he's really something to be feared."

"He's just another Reploid. Omega-Class Destroyer Reploid, but still just a Reploid. There's no such thing as Gods. Yes, he's to be feared, but he's nothing more than extremely powerful. Nothing is invincible. Now, bring me the cloak and I'll keep you in mind for the next mission"

Edaan tipped his hat again and walked past Kay towards the elevator. A thought occurred to him as the cowboy-esque soldier moved away and he stopped him.

"Where's your other half?"

Edaan smiled smugly.

"Most likely beating the hell outta unworthy warriors. You know he's always looking for a fight worth his time. Check down in Training. Might be a good show."

Edaan chuckled as he rounded the corner, disappearing towards the lift. Kay grinned slightly as he opened a comm channel to Command Operations and an Operator promptly answered.

"Good evening, General."

"I need a point to point beam out to the Rec Center."

"Understood. Have you locked, sir. Reading several non-standard electronic devices on your person. Recommended you deactivate before beam to avoid any disruptions or failures."

Kay growled away from the mic, glowering once again at his 'replacement' limbs. Locking the joints to remain stationary, and allow him to stay standing, he deactivated the cybernetics then signaled to the Operator to beam him. Immediately his body was flooded with a tingling sensation, akin to the pins-and-needles of numbness, as he was engulfed in energy and beamed away. Seconds later the feeling faded as he materialized in the Rec Center.

Re-powering his arm and leg, he made his way to the Combat Arena, knowing that was where he was likely to find Edaan's 'brother'. He was correct. Standing at the viewing window, Kay looked down upon what would normally be called an unfair fight, but he knew the only disadvantage was on the side of the six fully armed and armored Armada fighters surrounding a single opponent. _'I wonder if he outmatches himself on purpose to lull others into false security. I feel sorry for those fools against him.'_

Unarmed and adorned in nothing more than grey gi pants with a blood red stripe down the side, the martial artist set himself into a ready stance reminiscent of the Shotokan fighters of old. Two opponents, wielding metal staffs, stepped forward and took tentative jabs with their weapons only to have them swatted away with great force as the martial artist blocked and closed the distance. One of them, still fumbling to recover his weapon, was struck with a roundhouse kick of such force he cartwheeled away to land face down with a loud thud. The second was floored with equal force as a backfist to straight punch combo connected with his head, sending him into a viscous backflip and knocking him out cold. Resetting into his starting stance, the martial warrior glared at his remaining foes.

The remaining four attacked as one, two with Sabers two with Busters, but the martial combatant seemed prepared for such action as his arms from the elbow down ignited in blazing orange energy and he rushed forward. The Saber wielders were thrown off immediately as their blades were grabbed bare-handed and wrenched from their grips. A jumping roundhouse caught one square sending him sliding across the floor, the other just barely evading the follow up thrust kick with a quick roll. Several small Buster Shots pelted the unarmed warrior as he continued his forward motion, his glowing fists swatting down the further incoming fire as though the energy busts were nothing more than water balloons. Just before reaching the two gunners the martial artist spun around and threw his arms up in an X block to catch the descending Saber blow that had been aimed at his back. A spark of fury burned in his eyes as he disarmed the Saber once more, took hold of its master's wrists, pivoted into a hip check and flung the swordsman over his shoulder into the wall behind the gunners. The shocked and disoriented gunners never saw the approach of their opposition as he dashed forward with amazing speed and unleashed a cyclonic series of aerial kicks that crushed one of them. The final opponent attempted to back pedal from the fighter but found himself overwhelmed by viscous punches to the body that ended in a magnificent display of fiery energy from a spiraling uppercut that launched its target before dropping him like a stone in a river.

Powering his fists down and looking around at his defeated foes, the fighter dipped into a bow and began walking away. The sound of clapping caught his attention causing him to turn towards its source and immediately salute Kay. Kay quickly returned the salute and surveyed the arena.

"That's was, as always, highly entertaining Abel. Your skills and fervor are a boon to the Armada."

Abel nodded with a small smile of warrior pride before pointing at Kay's replaced limbs and tilting his head in inquiry. Normally Kay would've demanded one speak their mind instead of pantomiming, however he held no ill will towards the fighter as Abel was mute.

"A hard battle as well as a lesson learned." Kay clenched the replacement fist. "Nothing that will stop me, though. What about you? Any progress on vocal repairs?"

Abel shook his head then shrugged, his response of uncaring about the mutism. Kay chuckled.

"True. A warrior needs no words, only actions. After you get yourself patched up from that bout, come to my quarters. I have a mission for you that I believe will pit you against someone worthy of your skills."

Abel raised a curious eyebrow before nodding then, once more, gave the General a questioning look to which Kay smirked.

"I'll give you the details later. For now, go get some salve for those burns. Should you happen upon Edaan, send him to R&D on 12. I'm expecting him with equipment in need of an upgrade."

Abel again nodded and with a salute left Kay in the arena. Comming the Operator once more with directions, and locking down his limbs, Kay beamed away with his thoughts of rectification of mistakes firmly engrained in his mind.

Although there was no way of telling, as her cell was devoid of anything but a cot, Andromeda could tell from the quiet it was the latest hours of night. As usual she was seated on the floor of the cell in lotus, meditating to clear her thoughts and sharpen her focus. It was this focused state that allowed her to hear the thudding and whirring steps approaching her cell. She didn't need to see, or hear for that matter, who was coming as only one being she knew could create such powerful footfalls. _'Aside from Brav, I've had no visitors in my captivity. It can only be_ _ **HIM...**_ _'_ she thought as the steps grew closer. A moment later the huge mass of Kay stood at the electro-gate of the cell, a length of charcoal colored cloth slung over his shoulder and a neutral expression on his scarred face. Reaching over to the control panel, he deactivated the barrier.

"Stand, Assassin. You're time has been served."

Andromeda did as ordered and saluted her commanding officer. Her whisper like voice, although slightly raspier, was clear when she spoke.

"Good to see you well, General. I feared my actions had caused irreparable damage."

"Close enough, **SERGEANT**."

His emphasis on her reduced rank irked Andromeda, but she just nodded in contrition bringing a sinister looking smirk to the larger Reploid's face that burned away her ire and replaced it with unease.

"You're aware of your position. You're to be returned to Probational Duty under my command. Null has informed me of the terms, and I for one hope you DO step out of line. But, until such a time, I'll treat you as an asset. And as such, I have a mission requiring your specific skills."

"My life for the Armada." Andromeda replied causing Kay to sneer in derision.

"Indeed. I know Brav came to you before his 'separation' from us. What did he tell you?"

"Of his plans to escape. He also offered to take me along, which I obviously refused."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"No, sir."

"Although I'm inclined not to believe you, I'll take your word this time. Your mission is to bring him back. Preferable alive, dead if needed. But his body must be returned. He can be rebuilt and reprogrammed if necessary, so destroying him outright is unacceptable. As Solo missions are your stock in trade, you'll be handling this task alone. Failure is **NOT** an option, as you'll be useless should that be the case. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, sir. When do I set out?"

"Immediately. Time is critical to the task. Here." Kay tossed the grey cloth to Andromeda and she unfurled her cloak. "Your 'prized' possession and the mark of your class."

Shock rode freely on Andromeda face as Kay returned her cloak. She quickly put it on relishing in its familiarity for a split second before a burst of electrical energy surged through her body, dropping her to her knees. Glaring up at the deceitful smile worn by Kay, Andromeda's icy blue eyes screamed out for murder only to be met with equal intent by the general's grey-green gaze.

"Wh-what did you do?" she croaked.

"No more running or hiding for you, Assassin. From now on, I'll ALWAYS know how to find you. Fibers woven into your oh-so-precious cloak have introduced a colony of nanites into your system. Only I have their frequency. So, if you decide to run, I'll be there to catch you. No Stealth Tech, no distance too far, no HOPE of survival should you fail. They've also disable your Emergency Teleport Protocol. No more running for you, ever! Should you try, the consequences would be...painful to say the least. Now, get up! Go and carry out your mission, return here when it's complete. And, good luck sergeant, I have a feeling you're going to need it."

Andromeda knelt on the floor of her cell attempting to collect her thoughts and composure, but the deep and dark laughter of Kay as he departed shattered any hope of that. For the first time in as long as she could remember her confidence, her resolve, was weak, replaced by a rising dread that heralded what promised to be a dark future for her.

A/N: The General has returned! The last of The Elites revealed. Andromeda free...kinda. Forgive the wait on this one, things have been exceptionally busy as of late and I'm getting in as much work as possible when possible. This was another chapter in which I thoroughly writing, and I hope everyone enjoys reading. As usual, please R&R and let me know what you think. Until the next chapter!


	20. Chapter 19- Omega-Level Threat

**Disclaimer- I own nothing of Capcom's. Story & OC's are mine. **

Chapter 19: Omega Level Threat

The crimson-black energy blur of Omega burned across the sky like a meteor, impacting the frozen surface of the Antarctic wastes with craterous force. The emergency beam-out during Transformation/Upgrade had created immense amounts of power, which only increased dramatically in transport. The resultant hole being the proof, measuring 30 feet wide and 10 deep. At its center stood Omega Zero, a crimson aura burning around him and casting a red glow in the crater.

A moment passed before the aura extinguished and Omega leapt from the hole, landing hard just beyond the edge of the impact site. Activating his scanners, he gazed out into the tundra and smiled darkly to himself. 'Credit, Hunters. As far as you could send me. Success on your parts, little use however...'. Seconds later his HUD lit up, coordinates streaming into Omega's vision, highlighting a path to the nearest coastline with a translucent black line.

Turning, he quickly began a vertical traversal of a frozen cliff, reaching the top in seconds. A vista of ice and snow stretched out as far as sights' limits, the landscape dotted with icy cliffs and crevasses along his route. His dark smile never faltered as he leapt from his perch and unloaded an O-Buster shot into a nearby wall, reducing the barrier to crystalline dust. Kicking his Booster in while airborne, Omega flew through the granulated remains of the wall to begin his journey in earnest.

A handful of hours passed before Omega reached the nearest coastline. Looking out over the thrashing waves he pondered his newest dilemma in mild annoyance. A system scan upon landing revealed his teleportation unit had been damaged beyond self-repair capability, a vital piece of equipment for escaping his exile. However, during his trek across the icy wastes, Omega had studied the extent of the Upgrade recently obtained and found a solution to his problem.

Along with weapons, armor and sensor upgrades to bring his systems into the new age, Omega stumbled upon a Booster augment. Closer inspection of the specifications showed him that the enhancement was more than capable of accelerating him to Mach-1 speeds almost instantly. Another dark smile had creased his lips as he silently paid respect to the Human responsible for further enhancing the greatest killing machine the World had ever seen.

Backing away from the water's edge, Omega activated the warm-up sequence for the Mach Booster and Boost-Dashed toward the edge. His HUD lit up green when the augment program was ready, smaller Booster nozzles rising from the calf section of his armor and igniting in conjunction with the Main Boosters, and he accelerated forward so rapidly he was gliding above the water's surface. Seconds ticked away as Omega blasted forward, a full faceplate dropping into place from the top of his helmet as he reached Mach speed to protect his face from the harsh physical effects of super sonic travel. A muffled ' ** _BOOM_**!' reached his ears and that dark grin spread wide under the faceplate as he reveled in the notion of his power breaking yet one more barrier. Again, Omega felt the tiniest spark of admiration for the Human scientist and his unwavering resolve to enhance the Alpha Predator.

 _'Perhaps I'll thank the flesh sack personally...before I gut him.'_ Streams of calculation flew through Omega's view as his HUD displayed Estimated Travel Time and Power Consumption for the journey. He would make landfall in several hour at his current speed, but his Energy Cells would be on the verge of Shut Down upon arrival. 'No risk, no reward... I'll just have to be quick about locating a suitable recharge...'.

Deepest night had set in as Omega made landfall, pale moonlight casting a gentle luminescence on the landscape. Stars dotted the midnight blue skies like a million glittering diamonds, glinting and pulsating a silent symphony in the heavens. The Destroyer, however, noticed none of it. His HUD was alive with a different pulsing light- Low Power warnings. Calling up an area map, Omega searched for the nearest military installation, locating one several miles away. Shutting down the warnings, but keeping his remaining Energy level in sight, Omega rocketed away via his normal Boosters.

It took a handful of minutes to cross the distance, Omega stopping just outside the perimeter and activating his sensors. According to the data pouring into his HUD, this was a low priority Research outpost sporting a mostly civilian staff. He snorted with a scowl, ' _Civilians have no place inside an installation of War. A hard lesson will be learned tonight...'._ Switching his HUD into Passive Combat Mode, Omega immediately locked on to a pair of soldiers close to the main gates. Data pertaining to their armor and armaments filled his view but he ignored most of it as he strode forward, right hand converted into Buster form. As he approached the extreme edge of the base's perimeter, the two guards began to converge on him with weapons close but unready.

"Halt! Base access to civilians is restricted to the hours of 6am and 9pm. Please return tomorrow."

Omega's vision flashed bloody red at the order, his faceplate dropping as he Booster-Dashed and unloaded a Mid-Charge Buster round into the guard which incinerated him in a bright burst of purple-black light. His companion, dumbstruck by the speed of current events, was slow to open fire, allowing Omega to cross the distance between them unfettered. Lightgun rounds pelted harmlessly against the ultra durable armor of The Destroyer as he unsheathed his Saber and lunged forward to drive the Emerald bladed weapon through its target's chest. A visible surge of energy coursed from the soldier as Omega drained away his life to replenish himself and, in a single upward swipe, almost split his victim in two as he gazed at the green glowing blade in mild confusion.

A scan quickly revealed that the weapon wasn't the Z-Saber at all, only a stock Beam Blade. Growling, he returned the handle to its shoulder mounted resting place and activated another of the Upgrade's additions: a Weapons Tuning Matrix. The program was capable of 'fine-tuning' any weapon into a personalized instrument designed to suit Zero, or in this case Omega. A timer appeared in the corner of his HUD with a count down to the Saber's completion. Growling once more to himself, Omega activated a jamming/hacking program, also from the Upgrade, and downloaded all relevant data concerning his target as well as disabling long range communications. Raising his faceplace, Omega tapped into the communication system and broadcast his words over the PA.

"According to your data, there's a sturdy defense here. Odd for a mere Research facility. Pointless, in the end. Surrender now and I promise to make your deaths quick. Resist...and I'll drown in your blood. Decide."

Inside the base, klaxons blared as blue clad Imperium troops dashed about. The main screen was displaying the events from outside when the PA came to life with a voice demanding surrender and death. Standing on a slightly raised walkway above the rest was the Major in command, watching the screen with rapt attention. Almost quietly, a Private approached him from behind and held out a data tablet that the Major took absentmindedly before looking at it in earnest. Before he got through the first paragraph the Private began speaking.

"Identity still unknown, sir. But, prelim scans have pulled up some data. First, he's an Assault/Dueler Reploid, which means he's pretty old. As far as we've been able to find, they stopped crafting Duelers almost 400 years ago. Second, he's been heavily modified. Ultra-Dense Armor composition of Unknown Quantity. Proton-Grade Buster shots uncharged, Neutron-Grade when charged. Close-Quarters-Combat Masteries too numerous to list. And a plethora of Primary and Sub system upgrades, including scanners, infiltration protocol and a weapons tuning program to modify anything he picks up to his specifications. Never seen any thing like him before, sir."

"And you never will again, son.", grumbled the Major. "That there is the only Reploid of its kind. The Omega-class Destroyer. Never believed the stories, seems I should've..."

The Private paled noticeably and the Major didn't blame him. Omega was a horror story, a fairy tale told to children and around campfires meant to frighten. Never once had anyone nowadays thought such a being could have existed. But, as the screen plainly showed, he DID exist and was just as fearsome as any legend. Lowering his voice and hoping the Major didn't hear him, the Private exclaimed a quiet 'We're SO fucked...' before he looked back at his commanding officer and found his voice.

"Or-orders, sir?" he stammered. The Major never took his eyes from the main screen.

"Maximum Defense Protocol. Threat Level: Alpha. Scramble Hyperion fighters. Orders to Engage the target at will. Bring Centurion units online prepared to engage hostile forces. Prep Evac shuttles for immediate lift off. All civilian staff on board before anyone else. Our objective, people, is to hit the target fast and hard! If our best efforts only slow him down so those shuttles get away, I'll die happy! This is the threat we all trained to face one day. Today's that day! Stand strong and fight back the darkness that threatens to consume your worlds!"

The crew erupted in cheers and rushed about with renewed fervor. The Major smiled at their proficiency and turned to face the Private, who stood slack jawed before saluting and running off to pass around the orders. _'Let them fight back to the end thinking they can win...'_ he thought sadly, ' _All we can do is brave the Storm with Valor and hope our efforts aren't in vane.'_

After tense moments of silence, Omega began his advance on the base. He'd allowed more than enough time for them to accept his offer, and his brief skirmish with the guards had him ready to destroy. No more than steps into his quest, Omega found himself temporarily blinded as massive flood lights suddenly came to life. Adjusting the Light Filtration in his HUD, Omega's vision cleared to the sight of two heavy anti-vehicle gun emplacements aimed in his direction.

His scans revealed them to be the progeny of Cain Industries' Raptor Assault Cannons. He grinned as he pondered their capabilities, wondering if they shared their predecessors slow start-up and long cool-down. ' _Let's test the technology, shall we?'_ , he thought as the timer in the corner of his HUD reached '0' and he drew the O-Saber from it's shoulder sheath as he marched toward the main door. A voice unexpectedly boomed over the external PA, bringing Omega to a stop.

"Unidentified Reploid, you've openly assaulted Imperium Command soldiers and hacked into secure military channels. According to law, you are designated 'Hostile' and will be treated accordingly."

Omega couldn't help but grin to himself. "And who, exactly, addresses me? Major Whin? You would throw your people to the slaughter battling me instead of clean, quick deaths?"

"You're an Alpha Level Threat according to our scans. It's our duty to stop you here, before you can do serious harm." Major Whin's voice boomed with stoic conviction.

Omega laughed, a cold and evil cackle. "'Stop me'? You deluded fool, I shall bring Death to you all. May you suffer most for your idiocy."

As Omega's faceplate again dropped the Raptors opened fire, their heavy energy bolts drilling into the whirling wall of deep purple light that was the O-Saber. Although his defense was solid, a couple of shots slipped through Omega's maneuvers to strike hard against his armor, leaving brightened hotspots on impact and driving The End back with each hit. Omega jumped to the side throwing his body into a corkscrew, the dodge giving him the appearance of a runaway propeller, sending the next volley of shots back up the cannons barrels and quieting the heavy gun emplacements permanently.

His sensors came alive again as multiple lock-on warnings sounded and his HUD flared to flashing life. Readouts pinpointed over two dozen medium repeater turrets and micro-missile pods aimed in his direction, a massive assault that would reduce most opposition into molten slag. Unfortunately for them, Omega was no normal opposition. Readying his Saber once more Omega leapt into the air as the gun turrets opened up, deflecting and ricocheting shots on his way up. Several missiles streaked towards him but a well timed Buster round swallowed them in violet fire. Air-Dashing to avoid more incoming fire, Omega unloaded a spread of shots at the turrets crippling any that were caught in the return. Suddenly, the defensive fire from the base stopped and Omega heard the comm lines open with a ' ** _POP'_** and ' ** _CRACKLE_** '.

"Hyperion Lead to Command, we are primed and awaiting launch order. Confirm, over."

"Hyperion Lead, you are clear. Engage at will. Subdue or Terminate. Keep him busy till we get those Vac Shutts airborne."

"That's a copy, Command. Hyperion Flight, you heard 'em: Take him down."

Omega's fury was fitting to boil over. He quickly tapped into the comms.

"And what makes you think I'll let **ANY** of you escape here?! No quarter given this night...Death awaits you."

Taking to the air once more, Omega swung the O-Saber in a huge horizontal arc, unleashing a massive Hadangeki wave into the wall of artillery attached to the base. Every emplacement exploded simultaneously as the energy wave cut deep into the exterior armor of the installation, leaving a visible glowing gash. With the distractions taken care of, Omega turned his attention to the half squadron of fighter craft now in the air. He grinned behind the faceplate as he cycled his Buster to Quick Charge and locked onto the nearest of the group, waiting until the peak of Mid-Charge, then unloaded.

The Hyperions moved into a crisp evasive, however the fast-flying O-Buster shot caught up before all had come clear. Catching the tail end and fully engulfing the Tri-Fusion Engines of one of the fighters, the Hyperion went up in a brilliant orange-purple fireball. The pilot's final scream resonated over the comm frequency as the remaining Hyperions spread out along different vectors and began strafing runs against the much smaller target. Their efforts, although well devised and valiant, were all but useless against the immensely fast and nimble Omega. Before the fighters could pull away to start another run, two more were swallowed by a fully Charged O-Buster shot and reduced to molten shrapnel.

As the Hyperions finished their loop, Omega's HUD exploded with lock-on warnings as the crafts unloaded their heavy artillery. Time seemed to slow around Omega as thousands of possibilities ran through his head at once. In those seconds of eternity, Omega made his choice. Blasting forward on his Boosters towards the coming projectile onslaught, Omega leapt from missile to missile with incredible agility to grab onto the wing of a passing Hyperion. Hauling himself up and Mag-Locking behind the cockpit, Omega smashed his fist into the Plexi-Steel canopy, shattering it. Driving his blade through the pilot's back, killing him outright, Omega sent the fighter into a nosedive. Unlocking and flipping away, Omega's Saber easily spilt the doomed craft in two and sent its remains slamming explosively to the deck below as he descended with a feather-like quality to land soon after. Seconds later the comms came to life once more as the fighter craft force was now reduced to 1/3 of its potential.

"Hyperion Lead to Command, requesting permission to disengage target. We can't scratch him, sir."

"Hyperion Lead, permission granted. Come about into holding pattern R224. Vac Shutts are eight minutes to flight. Updated objective is to fly cover for retreating Evac. Acknowledge understanding of update, Hyperion Lead."

"Hyperion copies, Command. Moving to R224 and holding."

Omega was tempted to chime in with threats of pain and death, but the warnings from his sensors quickly cut that off. Turning his attention to the bases' main entrance he saw a large force of midnight-blue armor clad Reploids who looked tough enough to shrug off high-yield shelling. However, before he could test the theory, Omega found himself dodging away from a large burst of roiling plasma. Cycling his Buster to Spread-Fire, Omega launched a small barrage of Low powered rounds at his foes. Much to his surprise, both pleasant and not, a line of troops stepped forward and, bringing their forearms up to almost touch, encased the force in a cerulean energy shield that diffused the incoming particle shots with ease.

Charging to peak Mid power he fired again against the shield with the same result. Brandishing his Saber, Omega ran toward the shielded group only to have to dodge and deflect incoming bursts of cannon fire. Barely covering ground against the defensive screen Omega stilled, his gaze boring deep into his prey from underneath his faceplate. Massive whirring thuds sounded from the rear of the formation as the energy shield shut down and the soldiers parted as a Ride Armor encased Reploid stepped into the forefront.

"Hostile Reploid, under Imperium Command Martial Laws 442-3, 442-5 and 442-78 sub-section 6, you are charged with Crimes of War against recognized Imperium edicts/property/personnel. Disarm and Disengage weapons and prepare to be taken into custody. Any actions outside of disarmament will be prosecuted with extreme prejudice."

All the data that Omega's sensors had been collecting on the Gauntlet-Class Ride Armor vanished instantly as his HUD blared a blinding red. The monotone delivery from the Reploid had spurred something that drove Omega's fury off the chart.

 ** _"YOU DARE SEND AUTOMATONS TO BATTLE ME?!"_**

"We are **NOT** automations. Centurion Reploids were designed with emotional responses removed from strategic thought. We are Combat Distilled into its core elements."

As if to demonstrate, the Centurions launched a salvo at Omega. The Destroyer easily leapt away from the blast but was blindsided by a right hook from the Ride Armor and sent tumbling away. Omega recovered in the air, firing several Buster rounds as he did. The Gauntlet threw its arms up in defense and produced an energy wall similar in design to that of the Centurions protective dome, diffusing the shots. Two E-Mag Bolt launchers unfolded from the Armor's back and ' ** _Whumped'_** out shots at Omega. Speed and Agility were on Omega's side, however, as he dodged around, under and over shot after shot to rapidly close the distance between Predator and Prey. As he reached slashing distance, Omega again found himself dodging and evading incoming plasma.

Wave after wave of shots rained in at Omega, his blade fending most of the assault off with the occasional shots scoring against armor. Pure rage spilled over as Omega slammed a violet glowing fist into the ground, a geysering pillar of similarity colored energy surrounding him and swallowing the incoming shots. His vision burned crimson as he blasted forward, removed one of the Ride Armor's arms in a single graceful slash and unloaded a powerful Buster round into its back, blasting Armor and Rider into hot slag. The rest of the Centurion force was engulfed by Omega's fury as he jumped, dodged, blasted and slashed his way through all of them. In less than a moment it was over, and standing coated in the gore of his enemies was Omega.

His vision cleared once more causing him to glance at the timer in the corner of his HUD. He'd wasted over 5 minutes dealing with the Centurions, leaving just under 3 to wipe it all out. Moving toward the heavy blast doors Omega came to a sudden halt as the comms crackled into life.

"Hyperion Flight to EV-1, prep for Hard-Burn. Tango's sensors just reinitiated. Turning to cover escape vector. Good luck."

Turning to the skies while rapidly swapping through scanning programs, Omega located the airborne shuttle flying away full bore. A calculation swiftly made told Omega the time that had been transmitted via the airwaves had been a diversion, much the same as the Centurions. His fury again threatened to boil over, however he checked it. Cycling his Buster to Overdrive Max, Omega locked onto the shuttle but didn't fire. He waited until his scans were complete so he could relish in the death toll, knowing how many fell in a single motion. As the tally completed he fired the massive fast moving burst of Neutrino energy, instantly noticing the simultaneous power drain and Buster overheat.

The Hyperions swooped in hard on an intercept course, hoping to sacrifice their ships to save the evac shuttle. Though valiant, their efforts went in vain once more as the fighter craft were enveloped and incinerated by the Buster Shot, which carried on unabated to catch the engine section of the shuttle with a brilliant explosive flare. Omega kept the shuttle in view as it careened downward toward the hilly terrain like a comet for as long as possible, relying on his scanners to track it to its final impact. The fiery burst of the shuttle dying against a hillside was accompanied seconds later by a Negative reading from his scanners, causing a nefarious grin to split the lips of The End beneath his faceplate.

Turning his attention once more to the base, Omega Mach Dashed toward the heavy blast door with a fist encased in roiling crimson energy, slamming hard into the barrier like a blur of red-black lightning. The immense force of the blow ripped the door free of its housings and sent it on a destructive cartwheel down the main corridor, tearing through walls and personnel alike. Stepping into the debris cloud, Omega quickly pulled up the base's schematics and located the hanger bay on the top level of the East Wing. He grunted in dissatisfaction after finding himself a small excursion from his target with little time before lift off.

Dashing through the halls at break neck speeds, Omega tore through the paltry defenders that were left like paper dolls. Ascending to the 2nd tier brought out heavier reinforcements, but even High Caliber Lightrifle rounds deflected off Omega's armor like water drops breaking on concrete. During one sortie, he threw the O-Saber at a group hidden behind cover and, by hand manipulation alone, caused the energy blade to curve itself into a scythe-like shape and boomerang into them, mowing them down like grain stalks.

As Omega reached the top level he had to throw himself into a series of wild aerial evasive moves as a torrent of weapons fire tried to wash him away. The deluge, however, proved to be nothing more than an irritant to The Destroyer at this juncture as he hacked, slashed, dodged and blasted his way through the 'insects' like an exterminator. When the attacks finally ceased, Omega slowly marched his way to the hanger bay and, as he had with the blast door earlier, unloaded an energy laden punch into the sealed barricade to send the bowed in door flying off its mountings. Striding through the opening, Omega was faced with the remaining, and largest of, the base's force.

His scanners calculated over 400 stood against him, as well as the two remaining evac shuttles. Leaping high over the group, Omega unloaded several Buster rounds into the hydraulic lift pushing one of the shuttles into launch position. The compromised machinery buckled, dumping its payload rolling back to the deck to collide none-too-gently with its companion also awaiting lift-off. The sickening screech of twisting metal sounded like the wailing cries of some ancient spectral monstrosity, freezing the blood and chilling the soul. From his position, Omega could see neither craft would be fit to fly for some time. Unfortunately, time wasn't something anyone here had left.

Suddenly Omega was aware of the shots being fired at him from the crowd below, Air-Dashing toward the shuttles to avoid the rainfall of attacks. Unloading a small barrage of Buster shots towards the shuttles in an attempt to corral the fleeing survivors, Omega was rewarded as several of his shots scored hits against the smoking engines of the toppled craft and ignited it in a spectacular explosion. Proximity, and bad luck, spelled doom for the remaining shuttle as it too was engulfed by the rolling fireball and exploded seconds later, wiping out a small chunk of the Imperium personnel on deck.

Omega felt the wave of Destruction wash over him and time stood still. Hovering above his quarry like a true predator would, allowing the sheer power of this moment to sink deeply into him, driving his feral instincts to kill. Time righted itself and the same crimson aura that had surrounded him in the Antarctic burst to life around him once more, swallowing the Lightgun rounds being fired at him. Drawing his Saber, once again a burning, blood-red greatsword, Omega sliced an 'X' in the air creating crossed Hadangeki waves. Firing a Charged Shot into the crossed waves caused them to blast apart into dozens of smaller, spinning cutter-like projectiles and rain down into the amassed crowd, wreaking havoc on the group in seconds.

As confusion gripped his opposition, Omega took advantage. Riding a crimson-black bolt of lightning back to the floor with extreme concussive force and a guttural roar, red filled Omega's vision as he slaughtered his way through the remaining soldiers with indescribable fury and mercilessness. In little more than a moment, almost all those who'd made a stand now lay still. The injured groaned or cried out for help and those that could run tried, but it wouldn't matter. Wrapping his fist in a twisting envelope of coursing red-purple energy and raising it high, Omega roared out once more before slamming his fist into the floor creating a whirling vortex of similarly colored energy that engulfed the entire base like wildfire. Instantly superheating metal on contact, as well as incinerating anything less, the bases' destruction was a cacophony of warping metal, shattering glass and the dying anguish of those unlucky enough to still draw breath.

The deep night sky was brightened by the burning base, the blistering red-oranges entwining with inky blue-black. The lone figure of Omega, highlighted by the blaze, strode away into the night, burning red eyes scanning the horizons for his next target. All Zero, _'And his precious Hunters...'_ , had done to keep the Destroyer God encaged had finally failed. Casting a sidelong glance over his shoulder to gaze upon the first of a series of devastating new masterpieces one final time, Omega Boost-Dashed away followed only by his ghostly violet afterimage.

Kneeling atop the Weather Tower in nightly prayer, as was his usual, Cyrus' eyes snapped open. The normally aquamarine orbs had clouded to an opaque green and his body almost leapt, unconsciously, to its feet. Focusing sightlessly on unseeable distances, a smile slowly crept onto the acolyte's lips as a hushed whisper of 'He's Returned...' passed through them. Turning away his eyes returned to normal as he all but dashed from his place to seek out the only other being in the Armada that could understand, and appreciate, the magnitude of these new events.

"Salvation is at hand... Praise be to Omega."

 **A/N: Well, I know it's been a while since anything went up, my apologies. Life has a funny way of saying 'screw you, buddy.' Anyway, hope everyone enjoys this one, it was rewritten over a dozen times and deleted in it's final stages more than once. I wanted it to truly feel like an unstoppable force claiming victims unfettered. As usual, R &R. Any and all feedback welcome. From here, we slowly approach the end. Until next chapter folks!**


	21. Chapter 20- Drifting Leaves

**Disclaimer: All Capcom related entities belong to Capcom and I claim no ownership of them whatsoever. All OC's and the story itself belong to me.**

Chapter 20 - Drifting Leaves

 _'Time...'_ , Iris thought, _'Is a funny thing. Never enough when you need it. Far too much when you don't. And, never able to regain it once lost_.' These were among the thoughts of the normally bright and cheerful perspective that Iris was renowned for. The last seven days had been an indescribable hell from the second she pressed the button that teleported her heart to the furthest reaches. And, for Iris at least, the world had gone grey and muted, color, light and sound all softer and sadder then she'd ever remembered. At first she hadn't noticed, more to the point she didn't care. But here, under the blazing nighttime noon of Neon City, Iris became fully aware of how much brighter Zero made her world.

After days of wandering around the HQ like an aimless ghost, Iris couldn't stand the sight of the hallways. Every turn, every corner, ' _...every_ _ **INCH.**_ _..',_ reminded her of Zero, so she left without a word. Mistakenly she thought perhaps being outside and far away would ease her mind, so she'd headed to Neon. At the sight of the shop they'd visited on their date, Iris became fully and painfully aware of how wrong those thoughts were. Immediately, she jumped onto a public bus, deciding as she sat to ride it to its end.

Her mind meandered as much as the city streets the bus followed. Memories of her and Zero flashed to life, happy moments, quiet moments. Their moments. ' _All gone now... Like footprints in sand, washed away by high tide...'_ , she thought sadly, a sharp pang resonating from her heart through her body. Lost as she was, Iris almost jumped out of her seat when the last stop announcement sounded. Looking out the window, she recognized the area and quickly exited the bus. Activating a watch-like device on her wrist, Iris pulled up a holo-map of the area.

As an Operator she had been responsible for guiding combatants through unknown terrain. Using that knowledge, she segregated the area into grid sections and assigned coordinates to them. Cross-referencing the layout with global tracking, supplied by Imperium satellites, verified accuracy and allowed Iris to pinpoint a specific location. As the cross checks finished, a grid section almost instantly lit up. Locking in the directions, Iris dashed off to the last place Zero had been before everything happened. After hearing Roto's debrief and seeing Zero's physical condition, Iris believed that confronting this Brav would somehow change things. And, as far as she knew, the Max Torque was the last place **HE** was seen as well.

Iris tried to make sense of the emotions she was just barely **NOT** switching instantly between as she ran, still not fully comprehending her own haste. Although sorrow was dominant, urging her to hide away and weep until everything just ended, a seething and terrible anger bubbled up to the surface crying for revenge. It was a small voice inside her, a voice that was strange, but not, all at once. She remembered that voice howling to her a thousand years ago, roaring for Zero's life because of his betrayal. Quickly, she shoved that voice back down into whatever dark recess it existed in inside her mind. ' _Every Reploid has the potential to go Maverick, Iris. Not one of us is immune. Not me, not you, not Colonel, not X. It's_ _ **YOUR**_ _Will to contain it, that's the difference. That's the barrier between Lawful and Lawless._ ' Zero's voice spoke from a distant memory to overshadow the terrible howling in Iris' mind and gave her a slight stability once more.

Several long moments of dashing brought a breathless Iris to the steps of the Max Torque. Leaning on the banister leading to the bar, She collected herself, both physically and mentally, before walking down the stairs. Once through the doors she found herself in the low-lit, semi-bitter, semi-sweet and slightly warm air that accompanied most tavern-like establishments. Directly beside the door was a suit wearing Reploid with dark sunglasses whom Iris assumed was a bouncer of some sort. He unfolded his arms upon seeing Iris and approached, a very slight grin tugging the corner of his mouth before he spoke. His voice, Iris noticed, was both mild and powerful with a hint of lethality resonating underneath that made further thoughts of Zero flood into her.

"Evenin' Miss. Although I doubt it, it's my job to ask if you're currently armed."

Iris shook her head, replying "No, sir."

The bouncer nodded. "Figured. Just stand a nano, scan-pad's almost done."

Iris looked down at the mat she was standing on, only noticing now that it was a holo-scan pad. She looked back up as a chime sounded from the bouncer's watch.

"All good. How many with your party?"

Iris found herself unprepared to answer the question. ' _This is a very thorough process for a bar...'_ Iris thought before replying.

"I'm alone, sir. I'm here looking for someone."

"Oh?", the bouncer replied with a look of amused curiosity. "Who you lookin' for? Maybe I've seen them."

Iris took a deep breath, collecting herself once more.

"He's known as Brav. As I know it, he's an Elite of the Nihilist Armada and the last one to encounter the Maverick Hunter, Zero. I have some questions for him."

The grin fell away from the bouncer's face and he removed his glasses, his deep dark-red eyes scanning Iris' face before he moved her to the side.

"Stay right here. I'll be right back."

Iris watched as he walked over to the barkeep and exchanged words for a moment. Both looked over to her more than once during their conversation before the bouncer came back over, took hold of Iris' bicep and harshly dragged her from the bar. Released at the top of the stairs, Iris stepped back a few paces rubbing her arm before looking back up into unnerving eyes. Those red eyes, the color of dried blood, seared into her for long seconds before he finally spoke again.

"Who the Hell are you and why you lookin' for Brav?"

"I told you why I'm looking for him. What does it matter who I am?" Iris responded, indignant and irritated.

"Because Brav's a **VERY** Wanted individual. I'm not about to send a Bounty Hunter to his doorstep. Or a Maverick Hunter for that matter.", a deadly smile crept onto his features, "I'll ask again, Who...The... **HELL**... Are... **YOU**?"

The tone and inflection of the bouncer's questions told Iris she'd found the Reploid she was looking for. "My name's Iris Callister. I need to talk to you about what happened a week ago when you fought Zero." Iris' voice was on the verge of breaking, but she pushed past it and looked at the one she was almost certain was the last one Zero had clashed with.

That deadly smile transformed once more into a mask of shock as Brav folded his arms across his chest, leaning his weight on his back leg as he looked Iris over again.

"Wow... Both of you came back, huh? As you've obviously figured out, I'm Brav. Let it not be said the Maverick Hunters were lax in their searches. But I don't know what to tell you, cupcake. The long and short is this: Zero kicked my ass and laid me up for a week, after he killed my girl. I just retuned the ass whuppin'. His neon armored buddy came out at the end spouting some shit about 'Omega'..."

Brav was cut off as Iris' hand, completely involuntarily, cracked across his cheek with a hard slap. Stunned, both just stood in silence for a second before Iris found her voice once more.

"Revenge? That's why I lost Zero? So you could satisfy some perverse need for vengeance?"

Before Brav could attempt to explain Iris snapped and lunged at him, a howl of pure anguish tearing from her as she did. Off-guard but on point, Brav easily snatched Iris' wrists and spun her around so her back was pressed against him, wrapping her up in a straightjacket like grapple with her arms acting as restraints.

"Calm down! I got no desire to hurt you. For the record, I didn't mean to bust your boyfriend up **THAT** bad. How the Hell was I supposed to know he was harboring some mighty destructive entity inside? You have **ANY** clue about the 'Omega' fairy tales they tell nowadays? It's...a...myth. Omega is a horror story, campfire legend, nightmare fuel..."

" ** _BUT HE'S NOT_**!" Iris spat as she struggled to free herself from the deceptively strong Maverick. "Omega has been tearing across the globe on his way back **HERE**. More than a dozen military sites, both Imperium and Armada, have been completely annihilated over the last seven days, and the **ONLY** being capable of that kind of absolute devastation, no survivors, is Omega Zero."

Suddenly, Iris found herself stumbling forward as Brav released her, barely catching her balance on the nearby banister. Turning back to face him with red-rimmed eyes, Iris squeaked out a final question as her stoic facade shattered.

"If you knew... If you knew he was Zero, why? Knowing his history, knowing what he was, why? I don't believe any being with free will chooses revenge without wanting to die..."

Brav scratched the side of his head and looked away before answering.

"Maybe you're right, sweetheart. Maybe I wanted him to Retire me. Maybe I was hoping he would send me to Vale. I don't know... I **DO** know this, though: if you're right about Omega, and he's **NOT** the story we all thought, there isn't much time, is there?" Brav ran a hand across his face, as though wiping away some of this trouble. "Feels like I owe you a favor now, Miss Calister."

The shocked look on Iris' face caused Brav to chuckle loudly.

"Don't look so surprised, gorgeous. If you'd've done a **BIT** more research, you woulda found I AWOL'd from the Armada not too long ago. Got Imperium **AND** Nihilist warrants out on my head. Nevertheless, here's what I'm gonna do: go back to your people and tell them you've located an information source here in Neon that's been tracking the 'Omega threat'."

"What, exactly, does that accomplish?" Iris asked, her shock replaced by impatience.

"You keep 'em busy with this." Brav reached into his pocket and produced a data-disk, extending it to Iris. "This is a current regional layout of all Armada installation locations. It also lists each locale's specs, so you can attempt to discern a pattern."

Iris slowly took the disk from Brav, far more confused now then before this encounter started. The Maverick looked at her, head cocked to the side and a slightly smug half grin on his lips, and Iris again found herself reminded of Zero. Mentally shaking away the notion, Iris found her voice once more. "Why?"

Brav shrugged nonchalantly.

"Stop askin' why. I got no definite answer for ya. Like I said, kinda feels like I owe you a favor. The Imperium won't be able to stop this thing if it's as powerful as you say. Neither will the Armada. Just maybe, you and your Hunter buddies can. Because, if Null somehow swings Omega's favor, the whole world could go to shit **REAL** fast. And I, personally, can't let her win."

Brav looked away, somewhere far off in memories, before slipping his shades back on and plastering a grin back on to his face.

"Now, beat it. Time ain't on your side in this one, Flower Girl. Get that info to your people, and hopefully avert global destruction. My frequency is encrypted on that disk as well. Let's get together again sometime."

Iris was completely dumbfounded as she walked away. _'Was he...flirting with me? Bad form...and, Never_.'. Hailing a taxi to Main, Iris studied the data disk in hand. _'Why would a Maverick try to help us? How can I trust this? Do I really have a choice not to?'._ Paying her fare at the Main Avenue gate, Iris made her way to the transport she'd used to get here. Speeding off towards Hunter Base she mulled over the little she learned while wandering. Setting the Auto-Cruise and popping the disk into a reader, Iris confirmed the information Brav gave her and deepened that sense of confusion and unease. She pushed it down, however, and opened a comm channel to HQ.

"Iris to Base. I've acquired some information that may be of use. En Route back now."

Brav watched as Iris disappeared in a taxi and chuckled to himself. _'I love leavin' 'em off guard_.', he thought as he moved to step back inside. Something in his guts stopped him and told him to check the alley, but that notion immediately told him all he needed to know. With a dejected sigh he turned to face the alleyway.

"Just come out, Roma. If this is gonna happen, let's at least be up front about it."

Andromeda shimmered into existence from the shadows and stepped out to face Brav. From what he could see, aside from the new scar on her cheek, she looked better than when he'd last seen her. ' _Guess that's a plus...',_ he thought as he slipped his hands into his pockets with a slight grin.

"Lemme guess: you're here to drag me back, right?"

"In as many pieces as necessary, yes." Andromeda responded, her whisper-like voice seeming more strained then threatening to Brav's ear. He stepped forward, removing a hand from his pocket palm skyward.

"You don't have to. I can help you."

Andromeda quickly drew her daggers while stepping back.

"I don't need your help, traitor. My mission is clear."

Before Brav could respond, a tight-beam, text only communication appeared in his Eye-HUD that read: ' **Kay sabotaged my cloak. Nanites. Monitoring me. Can't detect short-burst. Must fight or else.** ' Brav sighed, knowing there wasn't much he could do right now as Kay was surely tapped into her Audio/Visual systems. With a resigned shake of his head, Brav lowered his hand.

"Shouldn't have to be this way, especially between friends." Another message: ' **Thank you, Brav. End me with Honor.'**

Armoring up and filling with an even greater distaste for the Armada, especially Kay, Brav ignited his Longsword and cast an eerie orange glow upon the alley. Andromeda's daggers quickly ignited in blazing yellow energy and she launched forward like a coiled spring into a flurry of movement. Brav easily swatted away the rapid blows from the smaller Andromeda, taking careful notice to keep her on the very outskirts of each of his big swings. They clashed back and forth several times, neither seemingly able to gain the advantage, before Brav created some distance with a counter throw, hurling the assassin down the alley. Brav noted instantly that, although she recovered in the air, Andromeda landed harder than she should've and took much longer to recover. ' _Fuckin' Kay... You knew she was too busted up to take me..._ '.

"This isn't gonna end pretty, Roma. I can tell your not up to spec against me. Just drop the pig-stickers and take off. For your own good." he shouted down the alley.

"You know **NOTHING** of what's good for me...", she spat, a hot venom behind her words.

Andromeda leapt forward once more, only to be engulfed by an incendiary blast from Brav's Cannon. Encased in flames her cloak burned away to cinders, the fast blaze also scorching her hair and face slightly. Brav stood over her and aimed his Cannon at her chest, letting an overly smug grin cross his features.

"And, poof, no more cloak. We done here?" A message: ' **Finish it. Still linked. Please.** ' Reply: ' **Not today.** ' Charging his Cannon, Brav fired into Andromeda, as she attempted to sweep his feet out, with a devastating E-Mag Burst, wrapping the downed assassin in coursing tendrils of yellow electro-plasmatic energy. If fully charged the weapon was capable of critically damaging or completely destroying a Reploids' delicate internal systems, causing catastrophic permanent systems damage or death. Luckily for Andromeda, this wasn't the first time Brav needed to transport a 'dead' Reploid.

The power of the shot he hit her with was enough to cause a Critical Shutdown but also cause the Primary Life Support to register as 'Deactivated'. If Brav understood nanite tech, if their host dies, they too die. And, at that moment, any scans of Andromeda would say just that. Collecting his limp friend over his shoulder, Brav proceeded down the alley towards the basement doors built into the sidewalk.

 _'What the Hell am I doing?_ ', he wondered as he slowly descended into the dark confines of the Torque's storage basement and powered down his armor. _'What do I care if_ _ **ANYONE**_ _survives? We all gotta go, right? What's the point of ME stickin' my neck out?_ '. Brav found himself wrestling with thoughts he'd never happened upon before as he gently laid Andromeda on a couch nestled amid cases of alcohol. "Ah, fuck it...!", he exclaimed as he made his way back upstairs, deciding once more that he'll cross the bridge of 'Why' when it falls on him.

Andromeda opened her eyes and found herself drifting helplessly through a void. She gazed in all directions, searching for any form of life, and was greeted only by vast emptiness. Although unnerving, Andromeda found the quiet seclusion more peaceful then frightening. ' _Is this Death?',_ she thought as she closed her eyes to bask in the infinite silence. _'I never imagined that dying would be so peaceful..._ '. That thought triggered another: pain. Not in her body **HERE** , but in her body nonetheless. A pure physical ache emanating from her mid-section.

Andromeda's eyes shot open as a hot, dull pain radiated from her ribs. Sitting up slowly she took in her surroundings. She was in a cellar, some kind of storage for alcohol by the looks of the cases and barrels. Two crates flipped upside-down acted as a small table next to the couch she was currently on. Atop the makeshift table were her daggers, a Quik-Charge pack and a handful of recharges, a week's worth of rations for quick energy conversion and a change of clothes complete with black traveler's cloak.

Activating her sensors as she took up her daggers, Andromeda calmed slightly as her scans revealed her to be alone and she slid her weapons into their place at the small of her back. Running a system scan and finding the nanites gone and most things in working order, she hooked into the Quik-Charge and rifled through the clothes, all of which were grey or black toned, before finding an optical message wafer in the pants pocket as well as a Lightgun and ammo. Examining the pistol quickly before returning it to the table and placing the small, paper-thin device in her palm, Andromeda couldn't help but feel relief when a 7-inch hologram of Brav materialized in her hand.

"Mornin' sleepy.", the pre-recorded Brav started with his signature roguish grin firmly in place. "Sorry for the harsh injection of Insta-Nap, but when you said nanites I only knew of one way to clear 'em out: kill the host. Luckily, this wouldn't be the first time I've needed to do this. Anyway, you're at the Max Torque. I brought you in after our 'scuffle'. The owner and I are friends and he hooked you up with the gear there.' Brav's grin fell away, "I know you won't be around when I show up later, but my offer stands. I know what you're wrestling with right now. Every wire is burning you to 'Obey' and return to the Armada for punishment. If you change your mind, you know how to find me." His smiled returned, albeit somewhat subdued. "Be careful, Roma. Until the next one."

Brav tossed a two finger version of the Imperium salute before the hologram faded and the wafer puffed into a ball of smoke. Dusting her hands off and unhooking from the charging unit, Andromeda closed her eyes with a sigh. Things had gone from simple to inside-out faster then she'd ever thought was possible. Shaking away the situational fear, she quickly changed into the fresh clothes and grabbed the satchel near the crate-table. Even if the nanites were wiped out, her IFF and XID transponders would alert Kay that she hadn't perished and he'd send hellfire down to smite her. And after all Brav and his associate had done, it seemed an injustice to subject them to that.

Loading up the satchel she'd found near the sofa with the provisions Brav had left and locating the doors to the street, Andromeda slipped out of the cellar and into the alley. The sun was high in the sky causing her to pull her hood up, guarding her eyes from the harsh glare. A quick check of the city map showed her the nearest border wall was less then a mile from her position. Her best bet to hide away from Kay was east of the Sandsea Wastes, near Quadrant Three. ' _Maybe I can find someone to remove my transponders...',_ that thought brought up the question of funding, which was something she'd never needed before. _'Perhaps,',_ she though _t, 'I'll find someone to barter with. Although the diversity isn't vast, my skillset has its uses._ '.

Adjusting her bag and pulling her hood close, Andromeda set off for parts hidden away, fighting off the burning urge deep inside her to return to the Armada. _'Brav was right about this feeling and it sucks. But, to be free? Pain is of little consequence.'_ With this thought firmly in mind, Andromeda silently slid away into the nearby shadows, hoping that this uneasy feeling in her mind, and guts, was part of the programming she was disobeying and not an ill omen of things to come.


	22. Chapter 21- Wildfires & Windstorms

**Brav: Well, that was interesting.**

 **Me: Huh? What was?**

 **Brav: The last chapter. Handled that well, in my opinion at least.**

 **Me: Umm, ok... You feelin' alright? Usually you hand out shit, not complements.**

 **Brav: (chuckles) Yeah, I kinda do. But, I give credit where it's due. And before you ask, yes I will.**

 **Me: Ask what? Will what? What the hell are you talking about?!**

 **Brav: SypherZero claims no ownership of any Capcom related characters or locations. This story and any OC's that appear, however, are his creations.**

 **Me: Ya know, I coulda handled that without all this pomp.**

 **Brav: True, but then no one would care about it. You're welcome.**

 **Me: (sigh)**

Chapter 21- Windstorms and Wildfires

Null crawled through the vent work toward Lacadian's cell disguised as Lily Thorne once again. She'd been incredibly busy with Cyrus for over a week since he'd rushed to her quarters in the middle of the night raving about Omega's return to the world, unchained once more. Null had almost struck out to find him that instant, but Cyrus had stopped her. "My faith in Him is unwavering, as you're aware. But even I wouldn't dash headlong into Hellfire, my lady.", he'd stated plainly and Null, although every sense was screaming the opposite, agreed with the cleric. ' _It wouldn't do to have Omega burn me away before a proper meeting, would it?'_

So, she bided her time. Holding council with Cyrus, and frequent trips to Lacadian, had helped give Null a greater insight into The Destroyer. Null understood Omega's Primal Nature, she too had an unquantifiable rage trigger that doused the world in shades of red and made logical thoughts impossible. This was one of the many things about Omega that Null found herself drawn to. ' _How could one_ _ **NOT**_ _be enticed by such a force?',_ she'd thought but knew better than to believe she herself could harness, or control, **THAT** kind of power.

But Cyrus was only a singular viewpoint on the matter, and Null figured if she was on a learning curve it was best to collect as much information as possible. She'd began by speaking with Kay, who begrudgingly recounted his encounter with Omega, attempting now to conceal his broken form under an enormous longcoat. Null understood the kind of power Omega unleashed, but to see the mental and emotional damage inflicted, on top of the physical, brought a deeper, and more frightening, understanding. She wished afterwards to broaden her knowledge on the enemy's thoughts, and so chose to seek out Lacadian's insights.

"Understanding **HOW** Omega operates doesn't improve the chances of disabling him, Lily. He doesn't respond to typical stimuli, such as pain, normally. Adversity to him stokes a fire that immolates any in its path."

Lacadian had informed her of many technical aspects concerning Omega, including the fact that he was, almost surprisingly, more than just an indestructible killing machine.

"According to all the data I've scoured through over the years, Omega's 'random' destruction isn't. He cripples the oppositions' ability to function against him systematically. Starting with communications and working down the list, even if he is acting on sub-conscience, he makes it impossible to act against him in any manner other than purely combative. Tactically controlling a situation **BEFORE** there's a situation shows he's thinking on a much greater combat scale than just to annihilate."

This knowledge was brand new to Null. As she has always seen it, Omega was an unstoppable and incalculable force that ravaged his way across the world, wreaking havoc in his wake. If he **WAS** of intelligent bearing then she **MIGHT** have a chance to influence, _'...or appeal...',_ to him on some level. This meant she needed to devise several tactics to approach him without being deemed a threat, which in itself seemed to be one of those insurmountable tasks that Null lived to undertake.

Tracking Omega's Path of Destruction wasn't hard. As a matter of fact, it was the easiest of the tasks at hand for Null, as he left a blatant mark of his passing in fiery ruins. Although he wasn't at the farthest reaches, he wasn't actually close either. A week-plus long rampage had left over 20 military installations, both Imperium and Armada, in shambled chaos. He seemed to be taking a route that would encompass Neon City, Maverick Hunter HQ and the Nihilist Stronghold in a horseshoe-like pattern. Using the telemetry, and a bit of educated guessing, Null plotted Omega's projected course based on current data. She'd almost gasped aloud seeing the Ancient Greek letter that was Omega's namesake drawn out before her. A select group may know of his return, but it wasn't enough for him. Null had smiled internally. _'He's burning his name into the Earth, letting all know of his return.'_ Immediately from her revelation, Null had rushed off to confirm her theory with Lacadian.

As she reached for the vent cover the motion of the cell door opening caught her attention and paused her into stillness. As the figure stepped in and the exterior light fell away the features of Vagrant became increasingly clear. The cigarette clenched between his teeth would've removed any further doubt. He slowly strode forward and gazed into the bubbling pit under Lacadian's suspended cell. Tossing his finished butt into the pool, he turned his scarred visage to Lacadian.

"Good evening, Doctor. Fancy rack you got there."

"How did you find this room?" Lacadian asked calmly. Vagrant laughed.

"Null's Secret Chamber ain't so secret. Not why I'm here. Your sentence is up. 150 years is long enough, don't you think doc?" He unholstered the Lightgun at his hip and flipped a selector switch on the side. "Sure you've heard about Omega by now. Equally sure you know that means everything's getting ready to burn." He aimed at the electromagnetic hinge in the ceiling holding Lacadian's suspended cell stationary and turned a cruel bi-colored stare to the imprisoned Reploid scientist. "I think you've delayed Retirement enough."

A clang from above drew Vagrant's attention as he sidestepped away from a falling ventilation grate. Transfixed in his search he never saw it coming when Null vaulted down with a diving stomp that drove him hard into the chamber floor. Pouncing off of Vagrant's chest, Null somersaulted through the air away from him, drawing her twin Light Daggers as she landed. Vagrant collected himself from the floor, his face twisted into a sinister grin as he gazed viridian flames at the disguised Null.

"Well, what do we have here? Imperium Infiltrator? How'd you clear security?"

Vagrant's arm shot up and he unloaded a small barrage of shots towards Null, the smaller Reploid nimbly dodging or deflecting the energy rounds. Hitting the floor in a dash after a brilliant aerial corkscrew, Null closed the gap between herself and Vagrant rapidly but something about his wide open, unmoving stance gave her pause and she slid to a stop a second before the massive hammerhead smashed down into the space she would've occupied. Ghostly violets burned with intense Rage, directed at the 'war wolf' before her, causing Vagrant to smirk as he drew his hammer back and rested it casually on his shoulder.

"I'm impressed, Sneaker. You've done your homework. Most of the time, I create recycled cans of ooze with that." He flourished the hammer like a staff with an ease that further impressed upon Vagrant's daunting strength. "My promise: it won't happen twice."

Vagrant leapt forward with a huge horizontal swing, a blatant attempt to bash Null into the bubbling death trap under the hanging cell. Rolling under and back to her feet, Null barely got airborne enough to push off of the follow up diagonal swing and hit the floor in a skid that almost dumped her over the edge. Null's eyes ignited with a violet luminescence as she moved to intercept Vagrant's advance, a ghostly afterimage tailing her.

Getting closer than expected, quicker than expected, Null began to unload with a ferocious series of flurries that put her opponent into a hard defensive. Although he kept her from landing a blow, Null's augmented speed and power kept him from bringing his hammer to bare. In mid-combo, Vagrant attempted to snatch Null at extreme close range only to have her thrust an elbow strike into his bicep and open his ribs up to another powerful elbow. Three quick slashes against his armor staggered him back a step, allowing Null to power step into a spinning side kick that caught Vagrant full and almost folded him in half.

A thought dawned on Null in the respite: What was the next step here? At first, she'd leapt out to stop Vagrant from dunking Lacadian, more because she still had things to learn from the scientist rather than any sense of altruism. Secondly, Null wished to beat some respect into the unruly Reploid. At any point, she could active her comm beacon and silently identify herself to him, but that would mean discarding Lily's identity. ' _It's been valuable, but maybe it's necessary.'_ Now that the Fury trigger was subsiding, she logically approached the scene.

Although more than capable of dismantling Vagrant right now, that would leave the Armada at a disadvantage it couldn't afford at this point. If she didn't attempt to finish him off, however, her cover would be blown irrevocably. She needed to disable him long enough to make an escape. Gears turned and pins fell into place as Null's mental process developed her next tactic and, as she moved forward, her internal chronometer had ticked away a second.

Closing the distance between herself and Vagrant, Null unloaded with a quick but powerful series of short punches that drove her opponent back. Purposefully, Null allowed one of her blows to swing slightly wide and Vagrant took full advantage, blocking the strike with a raised shoulder and delivering a vision pixelating haymaker. Throwing herself into the direction of the blows' force allowed Null to make a 'sloppy' recovery on shaky legs and create distance once more. Vagrant's lips twisted into a feral grin as he advanced, a predator stalking the kill, oblivious to the trap before him.

Vagrant Boosted towards Null as she sidestepped away from the pit, lifting the smaller Reploid from her feet with a devastating knee-lift and directly into line with the hammer swing already in motion. Null had been prepared for the rushing assault, however, drawing her legs to her chest as she lifted from the ground and unloading like a coiled snake with two boots to Vagrant's face. Using the momentum from the drop kick, Null back-flipped onto her feet in time to watch Vangrant's backward staggering before casting a quick look to Lacadian, who silently urged her with a head nod to escape into the vents.

Before Null could make her next move, her Eye-HUD blazed to life with a Shut-Down warning. Null swore under her breath at the failing Chameleon Cloak. A brilliant piece of technology for infiltration and espionage, the Cloak wasn't meant for extraneous physical stress nor protracted combat. Although their fight hadn't been long, or overly strenuous, Null's Overdrive hardware, which automatically kicks in during combat, overtaxed the sensitive and delicate spyware. ' _Time to finish this...'_ she thought as she began her approach.

Light Daggers in hand, Null sprung as Vagrant fully recovered. Activating the beacon she'd used during the Neon mission, Null was rewarded with a look of surprise, followed by the slightest grin, from Vagrant as well as a long second of hesitation. Her Daggers found home, scoring gashes into armor as she blazed into him with strikes that drove him back, the impressive combo ending with a rising diagonal that once more floored the big man.

Null pounced as her quarry was downed, slamming an unlit Dagger hilt to Vagrant's sternum and twisting the pommel to release a Controlled Magnetic Concussion Pulse. The CMCP, a variant EMP weapon, not only shut down electrical systems but also magnetically locked servos and movement joints. A perfect disabling weapon for Reploids. The pulse hit Vagrant full and produced the desired effect, but Null's HUD was blaring 'Imminent Shut-Down' warnings and she needed to move quickly.

Reaching under his abdominal armor, Null tripped Vagrant's Emergency Beam Out. This also activated his Armor Defense System, which Null was aware of, causing a massive surge of electrical energy to go coursing through the armor. Null's internal design allowed her to not only absorb the current but ground it into the decking on the floor. However, she jerked and spasmed as though enduring electric shock before half-launching herself from the teleporting Vagrant, sliding to stop as her head dipped over the edge of the bubbling pool beneath Lacadian.

Slowly pulling herself back to her feet, slightly smoking from the electric feedback, Null cast a sad glance at Lacadian. Both knew this would be the last time that they'd meet. Null moved to the control panel near the door, playing as though she planned to release the scientist.

"Stop!" Lacadian shouted causing Null to look back. "You've got to escape now. In moments this whole installation will be searching for you. One wrong keystroke and the magnetic suspension system shuts down. Go. And... Thank you, Lily." Lacadian smiled sadly at Null just as piercing klaxon alarms began to sound followed by booming PA announcements of security breach. Null allowed panic to sidle into her actions as she looked from the panel, the vent and Lacadian before 'deciding' on 'escape'.

"I'm... I'm sorry Doctor...", Null said before dashing toward the wall and kick-jumping into the ventilation system. Quickly crawling to her entry point and disengaging the Cloak, Null checked her sensors to make sure the area was clear and dropped from the vents. Now it was time to seal 'Lily's' fate. Making her way to Lacadian's cell, Null glared molten violet fury at her captive. ' _Appearances must be maintained.'_ , she thought.

"You've had unscheduled visitors, Doctor. Names, now."

Lacadian merely shrugged in a nonchalant manner.

"Aside from that brute you call Vagrant, I've no idea what you're talking about. If that's all, I was reading."

"Vagrant's arrival in the Service Ward points to another party involved, Lacadian. Once more: Names." Null manipulated the magnetic field of the cell, dropping it to within inches of the bubbling liquid and glared at Lacadian. "I've no patience today, so you'd do well to not test me. I may just forget why I keep you around."

Lacadian gazed over her shoulder at Null with a look of smug satisfaction.

"Please Null. You've no intention of killing me, or you would've already. I'm the only relationship you've left, regardless if it's nothing more than distain."

Null found herself caught off guard by Lacadian's words, but felt a kernel of truth to the statement deep within. _'It's a lonely place, at the pinnacle. She's been my favored pass-time device for some time. Every court needs a source of entertainment.'_ Turing her gaze to Lacadian in full, Null smiled menacingly.

"In that, you may be correct. However, you **HAVE** long exceeded your usefulness. But as far as I've come to know, you don't just kill your pets when they've outlived purpose. You're a part of my family now, Lacadian. Defiance and all." Null's smile never faltered. "But, punishments are in order. If you won't willingly give up your cohort, I'll have to forcefully pull it from your head."

Lacadian's defiance eroded almost instantly as her shoulders slumped and a pained expression crossed her features. Null beamed internally, knowing how much Lacadian had suffered during 'interrogation' trying to keep her secrets. And Lacadian knew there were no extremes Null wouldn't go to in attempt to extract the information. Null watched as the scientist closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheek, and strained to hear the quiet croak emerging from her.

"Lily... Her name was Lily."

Null smiled maliciously with a curt nod.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Null chuckled as she left Lacadian sobbing in her cell. A small twinge of unknown emotion resonated in Null as she made her way to the lifts, the alarms droning in the background creating an impenetrable vail of annoyance. ' _Pity_.' She concluded as the lift doors closed and she ascended to the Command Suite. ' _She's broken in so many ways, and this charade may have just been the last she could endure. I pity her weakness._ ' The doors opened into a slightly mad bustle, and as Null stepped out eyes darted to her as she seized command.

"Kill those alarms. Whomever is here, they've been ousted by the general alarm. Continued use of the auditory signal isn't required."

Instantly, the droning alarm ceased. Null nodded then waved a hand at the main screen, an image of Lily Thorne suddenly dominating it.

"This is our target. Imperium Infiltrator from the Deep Six unit. Posed as a defector for the last 8 weeks, whilst transmitting Armada intelligence back to her command. She also gained access to highly secure areas of this compound without detection. I'll allow her presence here to go unpunished..." Null paused, to allow her words to sink in as well as for effect. When she continued, her voice was hard and cold with deadly inflection. "If she's delivered Alive to me. Security has been compromised. This is intolerable, and reprimand is in order."

Null spun on heel and made her way out of the command suite. Aside from the slight shuffle of chairs and mechanical noise from consoles, all was quiet as the doors opened at her approach. A grin threatened to cross her features as she crossed the threshold but she clamped it down and looked back at the fearful faces of her subordinates. She WAS a masterful manipulator, and everyone would be hunting for a ghost because of it. Wordlessly Null stepped away from the door and watched it seal terror inside and made her way to her chambers with an invigorated sense of Power and Purpose. Setbacks had occurred, but so had Opportunity and Null would capitalize. With the general confusion over Lily, she would be able to focus on bringing Omega into the fold at her side, or at the least sided with the Armada _. 'Yes,' s_ he thought in detached excitement, ' _This War will finally end, and_ _ **WE**_ _shall reign. As Evolution always meant us to.'_

 _A/N: Again, it's been a while since I've posted anything. This was a little while in writing simply because I just couldn't find the time or the proper feel for the chapter. In the end, I thought this was pretty good. Hopefully all of you feel the same. As usual, R &R. No feedback is bad feedback. Thanks and see ya soon!_


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